LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Sinn Fein Members

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Leader of the House how much public money has been paid to Sinn Fein hon. Members in (a) salaries, (b) incidental expenses provision, (c) additional costs allowance, (d) staffing allowance, (e) Members' travel, (f) Members' staff travel, (g) centrally purchased stationery, (h) centrally provided computer equipment and (i) other associated costs since June 2001.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the details of Members' allowances for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 which were published on 21 October last. They are available on the website www.parliament.uk. We intend to publish 2004–05 figures in the autumn of this year.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environmental Action Fund

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list organisations in receipt of Environmental Action Fund payments in each year since 2002; which organisations she expects will be awarded grants in the period 2005–08; and what the annual funding is expected to be in each case.

Elliot Morley: Information on these grant awards will be placed in the Library of the House.

Environmental Action Fund

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the Environmental Action Fund (a) was for 2002–05 and (b) will be in 2005–08; what funds were available to bidders in 2002–05; and what funds will be available to bidders in 2005–08.

Elliot Morley: The planned level of programme resources for the Environmental Action Fund (EAF) was £4.19 million per year for the three financial years from 2002–03 to 2004–05. In 2002–03 a total of £4.48 million was actually offered to groups, but this included some funding for groups in their third and final year of funding from a previous grant round. Groups were then required to reapply for funding at the start of each financial year. Following those applications, £4.26 million was offered to groups in 2003–04 and £4.12 million in 2004–05.
	The planned level of EAF programme resources for projects relating to sustainable consumption and production is £2.25 million per year for the financial years from 2005–06 to 2007–08. Offers of grant totalling £2.25 million have been made for 2005–06, with provisional offers of £2.4 million for both 2006–07 and 2007–08 (reflecting the likelihood of some slippage or scaling-down of projects as they develop their work plans in the first year and then reapply for funding for the second and third years).
	In addition, £1.95 million of EAF grant is being rolled over in 2005–06 to existing recipients undertaking biodiversity projects. Arrangements for supporting biodiversity and natural resource protection in 2006–07 are being considered and will be announced in the summer.

Environmental Action Fund

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many groups have bid for funding from the Environmental Action Fund in 2005–08; and how many of the unsuccessful bids are associated with increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable development.

Elliot Morley: We received 250 bids for funding from the Environmental Action Fund (EAF) in 2005–08. I have announced today that 36 projects were successful in the competition and are being offered grant funding.
	The large majority of bids, both successful and unsuccessful, included elements of increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable development. It is not possible to quantify these elements, as the criteria for the 2005–08 grant competition sought applications for projects that would focus on moving beyond raising awareness and towards action for influencing and delivering more sustainable consumption behaviours.

Environmental Education Projects

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on funding for environmental education projects following the wind-up of the landfill tax credit scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that there is no shortfall in funding.

Elliot Morley: The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was reformed in 2003, as a result of which waste projects with an education component (categories C and CC) are no longer eligible for funding. Only a small proportion of that funding was used to support projects with a formal education basis. Certain environmental educational projects remain eligible for funding under the current scheme, for example in the biodiversity category. There was no direct replacement of the LTCS funding stream to support projects that might previously have been eligible. Projects with an environmental education component are supported by the Environmental Action Fund. Several other Defra programmes contribute to more informal modes of environmental education and awareness raising, for example £30 million over three years has been allocated to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for national and local waste awareness campaigns.
	Government are striving to ensure that education for sustainable development is recognised as part of the core education agenda across all education and skills sectors. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Sustainable Development Commission have recruited a senior adviser on sustainable development to liaise effectively with non-governmental organisations and other Government Departments to develop partnerships and coordinate action to achieve the objectives of the Sustainable Development Action Plan. DfES, with Forum for the Future and professional organisations, has also set up the Sustainability Implementation Group to make it easier for colleges and universities to raise the profile of sustainability literacy in all curricula for post-16 professional education.

Parking Spaces

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many car parking spaces are provided for those working (a) in and (b) visiting her Department.

Alun Michael: The total number of people employed in Defra and its agencies is 13,710 1 and the number of parking spaces provided is 5,683. This number includes an apportionment of spaces on sites which are shared with other Departments where parking is available on a first come, first served" basis.
	1 Headcount—ie includes part-time staff.

DEFENCE

Army Recruitment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which months during 2004 Regular Army recruitment was stopped for (a) the whole Regular Army and (b) sections of the Regular Army.

Ivor Caplin: There was no cessation of recruiting to either the whole Regular Army or sections of the Regular Army in 2004.

Court Martial

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place to ensure that details of service men and women who have been convicted under a court martial are passed on to the civilian police and recorded on their database.

Ivor Caplin: Each of the Services has a system in place to ensure that details of civil and some military offences, following conviction at courts martial or at summary level, are recorded on the Police National Computer. The Royal Military Police process this information on behalf of the Army and Naval Service; the RAF Provost and Security Service carries out the same function for the RAF.

Decommissioning Costs

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effect of the application of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2237/2004 of 29 December 2004, OJ L393 of volume 47 of 31 December 2004, on the manner in which the Government estimates decommissioning costs of (a) former Ministry of Defence property, (b) airfields, (c) nuclear sites and (d) sites at risk from contamination of asbestos and other substances.

Ivor Caplin: HM Treasury requires Government Departments to account for decommissioning liabilities in accordance with the Treasury Resource Accounting Manual (RAM) which is based on UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. The RAM does not require Departments to comply with International Accounting Standards (IAS) and, in particular, IAS 37 on this subject. Instead, the RAM requires Departments to follow the UK Standard, Financial Reporting Standard 12, that was developed in parallel to IAS 37 and is substantially the same.
	The Ministry of Defence continues to account for its decommissioning liabilities in accordance with requirements set by the Treasury which accord with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Therefore, under the current requirements there will be no effect from the application of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2237/2004 of 29 December 2004, OJ L393 of Volume 47 of 31 December 2004.

HMS Sussex

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make a statement concerning his agreement with Odyssey Marine Exploration over the recovery of the wreck HMS Sussex and treasure contained in it;
	(2)  what steps will be taken properly to record archaeologically the wreck of HMS Sussex and finds from the wreck; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he will take to preserve the archaeological integrity of the site of HMS Sussex; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the Government's share of the proceeds of sale of any finds from the wreck of HMS Sussex will be; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will publish the project plan for the proposed operation by Odyssey Marine Exploration on the site of HMS Sussex before work starts; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: On 27 September 2002, Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency (DSA), on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, signed a Licence Agreement with the United States firm Odyssey Marine Exploration for the archaeological excavation and recoveries from the wreck of what is believed to be the wreck of the Sussex, a British warship lost in 1694.
	A copy of the Partnering Agreement Memorandum, setting out the main provisions of the Licence Agreement, and a copy of a Synopsis of the Archaeological Requirements contained within the Licence Agreement were placed in the Library of the House on 25 November 2002.
	It is intended that the Project Plan will be published before any intrusive work begins on the site.
	Details of the Project and Frequently Asked Questions have been published on the DSA's website www.edisposals.com.

Infantry Regiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 73W, on infantry battalions, which nationalities make up the strength of each regiment at the date shown.

Ivor Caplin: It is not possible to publish the details of this answer so I intend to write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter and attachments in the Library of the House.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether detainees initially detained in Iraq in connection with weapons of mass destruction have been moved outside Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Never.

Ministerial Visits

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions in the last two years a Minister has made an official visit to (a) an injured soldier and (b) bereaved families of soldiers; and who the Minister concerned was in each case.

Geoff Hoon: Over the last two years, Ministers have made frequent official visits to injured personnel.
	Secretary of State for Defence
	April 2003—Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
	December 2003—Shaibah Field Hospital, Iraq
	June 2004—Shaibah Field Hospital, Iraq
	Minister for Armed Forces
	May 2003—Shaibah Field Hospital, Iraq
	October 2003—Shaibah Field Hospital, Iraq
	Minister for Defence Procurement
	April 2004—visit to Shaibah Field Hospital
	Under-Secretary of State for Defence
	February 2004—Chilwell Rehabilitation Centre
	March 2004—Shaibah Field Hospital in Iraq
	March 2004—Cyprus
	October 2004—JHQ Medical Centre, Germany.
	Ministers have also visited units in Iraq or when personnel have returned from Iraq. On some of these occasions they met injured personnel. As this was not the main focus of the visits, the exact details have not been recorded.
	Ministers have also met the families of personnel killed in Iraq on numerous occasions. Between 29 March 2003 and 2 July 2003 eight repatriation ceremonies, to mark the return of soldiers killed in Iraq were conducted at Brize Norton. Each minister attended two of these ceremonies, where they met the bereaved families.
	The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Minister for Armed Forces, the Minister for Defence Procurement and the Under-Secretary of State for Defence met bereaved families at the Remembrance Ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral in October 2003.
	Ministers have also held over 20 private meetings with bereaved families of personnel killed in Iraq and elsewhere. These are arranged at a family's request. To ensure that the wishes and privacy of the family are respected, full details of such meetings remain confidential.

Nuclear Disarmament

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps towards compliance with the UK's commitment to pursue disarmament negotiations in good faith under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty have been taken with regard to entering the Trident system into nuclear disarmament treaties.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom is committed to all its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including under Article VI, and has a good record on disarmament. For example, we have reduced the total explosive power of our nuclear forces by over 70 per cent. since the end of the Cold War and in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review we announced that only one Trident submarine would be on deterrent patrol at any one time. That submarine would normally be on several days notice to fire with its missiles de-targeted.
	The Conference on Disarmament (CD) based at the United Nations in Geneva, is the designated permanent multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. The priorities for nuclear disarmament were agreed at the 2000 NPT Review Conference and were the negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) at the CD and signature and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The First Plenary Session of the 2005 Conference on Disarmament opened on 27 January, but the CD has been unable to agree a programme of work since 1997. The UK continues to support the entry into force of the CTBT, and negotiation of a FMCT.

Porton Down

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action the Government have taken to investigate the claims of national servicemen who volunteered for experiments at Porton Down and who believe that they have suffered damage to their health.

Ivor Caplin: Although there is no scientific evidence of a pattern of unusual illness or disease occurring as a result of exposure to agents at Porton Down, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) nevertheless recognises that some former Porton Down volunteers have concerns about their health. In order to address these concerns the MOD is funding an independently-run epidemiological study, overseen by the Medical Research Council, to assess the incidence of cancer and mortality among former Porton Down volunteers. The study is expected to report in 2006 and it is intended that the results will be published soon after.
	In addition, any former volunteer concerned that their health has been affected by participation in the Porton Down Service Volunteer Programme can be referred by their GP to the Medical Assessment Programme (MAP), based at St. Thomas' Hospital in London. There they will have a thorough clinical examination with a consultant physician; tests and investigations if appropriate; and the opportunity to discuss symptoms or conditions and their possible linkage, if any, to the particular trials in which they took part.

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has held with the Director of Infantry on the proposal to cut one of the Fusilier battalions of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 16 December 2004
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1795.

Royal School of Engineering

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to move the Royal School of Engineering from Chatham; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: None.

UK Forces (Germany)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK forces personnel are serving in Germany; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Around 23,000 Service personnel are permanently based in Germany. Of these, around 4,000 are currently deployed on operations outside the Federal Republic.

Ukraine

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what bilateral relations exist between his Department and its Ukranian counterpart; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has good bilateral relations with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence which are promoted through a direct programme of bilateral contacts and activities under the auspices of Partnership for Peace. These include the provision of a civilian defence adviser to the Ukrainian MOD and other assistance with defence reform. We also provide officer and non-commissioned officer, English language and peace support operations training.

Winter Supplementary Estimate

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) implications and (b) consequences of the changes sought in the Ministry of Defence's winter supplementary estimate are; what the reasons for the changes are; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the revised spending plans on (i) budgets and (ii) departmental targets.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 December 2004, Official Report, columns 338–39W in which he asked a very similar question.

PRIME MINISTER

Meetings

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met President George Bush; and what matters were discussed.

Tony Blair: I last met President Bush in Washington on 12 November 2004. We discussed a wide range of issues including Iraq, EU/US relations and my priorities for the UK Presidency of G8. I refer my hon. Friend to the press conference I held with President Bush after our meeting, a transcript of which is available on the No. 10 website.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Legal Aid Funding Code

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what procedures will be used to amend the Legal Aid Funding Code.

David Lammy: Sections 8 and 9 of the Access to Justice Act 1999 set out the procedures relating to the Funding Code. The Legal Services Commission may from time to time prepare a revised version of the code which must be subject to appropriate consultation. The Funding Code is in two parts: Part I contains the Criteria, and Part II contains the Procedures. Amendments to both Parts must be approved by the Lord Chancellor before the relevant Parliamentary process. Revised Funding Code Criteria must normally be approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament before coming into force, although the Act allows urgent amendments to come into force in certain circumstances in advance of that approval. Revised Funding Code Procedures must be laid before Parliament.

Magistrates Courts (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the magistrates courts which operate within the Greater London area.

Christopher Leslie: The Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority (GLMCA) has responsibility for the provision of magistrates courts in the Greater London region until the 31 March 2005. There are currently 38 magistrates courts within the GLMCA area and this figure includes the family court at Wells Street, youth and the satellite courts. They are listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Courthouse Address 
		
		
			 Bow Street MC 28 Bow Street, Covent Gardens, WC2E 7AS 
			 City of London MC 1 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4N 4XY 
			 Horseferry Road MC 70 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AX 
			 Inner London Family Proceedings Court 59–65 Wells Street, London, W1A 3AE 
			 Marylebone MC 181 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5QL 
			 Thames MC 58 Bow Road, London, E3 4DJ 
			 Barking MC East Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 SEW 
			 Havering MC 19 Main Road, Romford, Essex, RM1 3BH 
			 Redbridge MC 850 Cranbrook Road, Barkingside, llford, Essex, IG61HW 
			 Stratford MC 389–397 High Street, Stratford, E15 4SB 
			 Waltham Forest MC 1 Farnam Avenue, Walthamstow, E17 4NZ 
			 Brent MC 448 High Road, London, NW10 2DZ 
			 Barnet MC 7c High Street, Barnet, ENS 5UE 
			 Enfield MC Lordship Lane, London, N17 6RT 
			 Haringey MC Bishops Road, Highgate, London, N6 4HS 
			 Harrow MC PO Box 164, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, HA1 2JY 
			 Hendon MC The Hyde, Hendon, London, NW9 7BY 
			 Highbury Corner MC 1 Holloway Road, London, N7 8JA 
			 Uxbridge MC Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1PQ 
			 Bromley MC London Road, Bromley, BR1 1RA 
			 Belmarsh MC Belmarsh Road, London, SE28 OHA 
			 Bexley MC Norwich Place, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7NB 
			 Camberwell Green MC 15 D'Eynsford Road, Camberwell Green, SE5 7UP 
			 Croydon MC Barclay Road, Croydon, CR9 3NG 
			 Greenwich MC 9 Blackheath Road, London, SE10 8PQ 
			 Sutton MC Shotfield, Wellington, Surrey, SM6 OJA 
			 Tower Bridge MC 211 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2JY 
			 Woolwich MC Market Street, London, SE18 6QY 
			 Acton MC Winchester Street, Acton, W3 8PB 
			 Balham MC 217 Balham High Road, London, SW17 7BS 
			 Brentford MC Market Place, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 SEN 
			 Ealing MC Green Man Lane, Ealing, London, W13 OSD 
			 Feltham MC Hanworth Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 5AF 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames MC 9 High Street, Kingston, Surrey, KT1 1 JW 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames MC Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2RF 
			 South Western MC 176a Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 1JU 
			 West London MC 81 Talgarth Road, London, W6 8DN 
			 Wimbledon MC Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, SW19 7JP

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii)1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

David Lammy: Since its inception in June 2003, my Department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has conducted two advertising campaigns:
	(i) A national regional poster advertising campaign on buses to promote recruitment to the magistracy;
	(ii) radio, press and ambient media targeting court fine defaulters (under the title Operation Payback).
	My Department has also conducted one campaign comprising leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the Freedom of Information Act among public sector bodies and the general public.
	The Public Guardianship Office, one of our two executive agencies, plans to run a campaign in 2005–06 to raise awareness of its services.
	All details are set out in the following table.
	
		£
		
			  2003–04 spend 2004–05 spend 2005–06 projected spend 
		
		
			 (a) Advertising
			 Operation Payback Phase 1, March 2004 (regional radio, press) 230,000 292,000 750,000 
			 Magistrates recruitment campaign (bus back posters) 342,000 102,000 — 
			 
			 (b) Publicity — — — 
			 Freedom of Information Act (posters and leaflets to raise awareness among public sector bodies and the general public) December 2004 to March 2005 — 300,000 — 
			 Public Guardianship Office (posters and leaflets in doctors' surgeries) — — 60,000 
			 Magistrates recruitment campaign: two DVDs for employers and potential candidates — 60,000 —

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was added to the council tax rate of a band D council tax payer by each (a) parish and (b) town council in the last year for which figures are available in respect of each such council.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ropetackle Site (Shoreham)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what square footage is planned for the Community and Arts facility on the Ropetackle site in Shoreham-by-Sea.

Yvette Cooper: The Deed of Agreement (Pursuant to Section 106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990) dated 10 December 2002 states the Community Facilities should be
	measuring approximately but no more than 1,000 square metres or such smaller size as shall be agreed between the Developers and the District Council."
	Discussions are ongoing to establish a subsequent agreement between South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Adur district council. This agreement will allow for part of the Community Facilities to be incorporated into a development for an Enterprise Centre, which will provide premises for new and growing businesses in Shoreham. In return SEEDA will contribute towards the fitting-out of the remaining Community Facilities which is estimated to be in the order of 630 square metres plus mezzanine.

TRANSPORT

Rail Usage

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change in the level of rail usage has been since 2000.

Alistair Darling: Passenger usage, measured by passenger kilometres was 38.2 billion in 2000–01 (financial year) and 40.9 billion in 2003–04, so increasing over the period by 2.7 billion passenger kilometres. People are using railways more than at any other time since 1947.
	Freight moved was 18.1 billion tonne kilometres in 2000–01 and 18.9 billion tonne kilometres in 2003–04, so increasing by 0.8 billion tonne kilometres.

TREASURY

Cancer

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the survival rates for the common forms of cancer were in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Andrew Murrison, dated 2 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the survival rates for the common forms of cancer were in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.
	Cancer survival rates are not available by individual year of diagnosis.
	Survival rates by socio-economic deprivation, and trends in the rates, for 20 of the major cancer sites for adult patients (15–99 years) diagnosed during 1986–99 in England and Wales were published in 2004 in the British Journal of Cancer: Coleman MP, Rachet B, Woods LM, et al. (2004). Trends and socio-economic inequalities in cancer survival in England and Wales up to 2001. Br J Cancer 2004; 90: 1367–1373.
	Information on cancer survival rates for English regions for adult patients diagnosed since 1990 have been published for three time periods (based on regions at the time of publication). These are:
	For patients diagnosed during 1992–94 and followed up to the end of 1999, by former health regions (and health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D4878.xls http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5388.xls
	For patients diagnosed during 1993–95 and followed up to the end of 2000, by former health regions (and health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5389.xls http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5392.xls
	For patients diagnosed during 1994–96 and followed up to 31 December 2001, by government office regions (and strategic health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8028.xls

Capital and Resource Budgets

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the level of the available (a) annually managed expenditure margin and (b) departmental expenditure reserve for capital and resource budgets for (i) 2005–06, (ii) 2006–07 and (iii)2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The latest forecast of the level of the Annually Managed Expenditure margin for 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 was published in Table B16 of the 2004 pre-Budget report (Cm 6408). Latest plans for the resource and capital Reserves in these years were published in Table B18. These figures will be updated in the 2005 Budget.

Civil Servants

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the civil service job reductions recommended by the Gershon Review were in (a) London, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Scotland, broken down by Department.

Paul Boateng: The Gershon Review made no recommendations on the geographical locations of civil service work force reductions in UK Government Departments. These are a matter for individual Departments to consider in line with their business and service delivery needs.

Cleaning Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the costs of cleaning the Department were in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: These costs are not separately identifiable.

Departmental Catering

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many departmental (a) canteens and (b) bars there are; and how much has been spent on the (i) running, (ii) staffing and (iii) supply costs of each in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The Treasury building at 1 Horse Guards Road has one staff restaurant and one coffee shop. There is no bar. Information broken down in the form requested is not available. For total costs of restaurant and associated facilities since 1997, I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 107W and on 20 December 2004, Official Report, column 1405W, to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow).

Economic Growth (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the expected rate of economic growth within the Greater London area over the next three years.

Stephen Timms: HM Treasury does not produce economic forecasts for individual regions of the United Kingdom. However, I can report that since 1997, the Government Office Region (GOR) of London has enjoyed above average growth in GVA per capita and the highest employment and lowest unemployment since records began. At the same time, the regional policies this Government has put in place to level up the performance of all regions to that of the best has seen some of the traditionally weaker performing regions enjoying above UK average growth of GVA per capita in recent years.

Engagements

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Treasury Ministers regularly meet senior representatives from the banking sector, including the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Expenditure Growth

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of planned real growth of total managed expenditure between (a) 2007–08 and 2008–09 and (b) 2008–09 and 2009–10; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The 2004 pre-Budget report set out the Government's latest expenditure projections through to 2009–10. These projections will be updated as normal in the forthcoming Budget.

Income Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate (a) the number of income tax payers with incomes in excess of £100,000 for (i) 2004–05 and (ii) each year from 2005–06 to 2009–10 and (b) the percentage of income tax payers with incomes in excess of £100,000 as a percentage of (A) all income tax payers and (B) all individuals in employment.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to table 3.3 Distribution of total income before and after tax, 1998–99 to 2004–05" on the Inland Revenue website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income distribution/tables 3_december04.xls
	The table shows the number of income taxpayers with a total income of £100,000 or more and the proportion of all income taxpayers they represent. The number of income taxpayers in 2004–05 with employment income, whose total income is £100,000 or more, as a proportion of all income taxpayers with employment income, is 1 per cent. Information for future years is unavailable.
	Note:
	Figures are based on the 2002–03 Survey of Personal Incomes and are in line with December 2004 pre Budget report.

Inheritance Tax

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been collected in inheritance tax in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on inheritance tax collected and other tax receipts is available at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/table1–2.xls

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place the review of prescription charges undertaken in 1998 as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	An internal review of prescription charges was undertaken by departmental officials in conjunction with Her Majesty's Treasury as part of the formulation of Government policy for the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review. This work fed into the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which was published by Her Majesty's Treasury and is available in the Library.

R&D Tax Credits

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total estimated take-up rates were of research and development tax credits by eligible firms in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) size of company and (b) industrial sector.

John Healey: R&D tax credits were introduced for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in April 2000 and for other companies in April 2002. The estimated take-up rates for the two schemes are given in the table.
	The figures relate to claims made in Corporation Tax returns received on or before 12 October 2004. Figures, particularly for later periods, are likely to rise as more claims are received.
	
		Take-up for R&D tax credits
		
			  SME tax credit Large company tax credit 
			  Number of claims As a proportion of the estimated eligible population(1)(Percentage) Number of claims As a proportion of the estimated eligible population(2) (Percentage) 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,738 38.6 — — 
			 2001–02 3,225 71.7 — — 
			 2002–03 4,491 99.8 715 71.5 
			 2003–04 3,199 71.7 337 33.7 
			 2004–05 135 3.0 7 0.7 
		
	
	(1)Estimate of number of eligible companies published in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, March 2000.
	(2)Estimate of number of eligible companies published in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, April 2002.
	Information is not available by industrial sector.

R&D Tax Credits

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of research and development tax credits has been since 2000, broken down by (a) size of company and (b) industrial sector; and what the estimated value to 2014 is in each case.

John Healey: R&D tax credits were introduced for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in April 2000. The estimated value of support claimed through the SME scheme is published as National Statistics on the Inland Revenue's website (http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/index.htm).
	In April 2002, R&D tax credits were extended to other companies. The latest monitoring data show that £160 million of support has so far been claimed through this large company scheme.
	Figures on the forecast cost of R&D tax credits were provided in the Paymaster General's written answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 816W. The table breaks these figures down by scheme.
	
		£ million
		
			  2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 SME scheme 250 260 270 
			 Large company scheme 420 440 490 
			 Total 670 700 760 
		
	
	Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million
	Information on R&D tax credits is not available by industry sector.

Stamp Duty

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue implication of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales so as to charge marginal rates of (a) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 7 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above, (b) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 8 percent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above, (c) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 percent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 4 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 8 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above and (d) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 4 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999 and 7 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above.

Stephen Timms: The estimated Exchequer effect, in 2005–06 terms, of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales according to the four schemes described in the question is given in the table. This does not include any allowance for behavioural changes or changes to reliefs.
	
		Marginal rates of SDLT on residential property and Exchequer effect of restructuring
		
			 Price of residential property Regime (a) Regime (b) Regime (c) Regime (d) 
		
		
			 £0-£59,999 (percentage) 0 0 0 0 
			 £60,000-£249,999 (percentage) 2 2 2 2 
			 £250,000-£499,999 (percentage) 5 5 4 4 
			 £500,000 and above (percentage) 7 8 8 7 
			 Exchequer effect (£ million)(3) +10 +170 -130 -290 
		
	
	(3)In 2005–06 accruals terms; negative indicates a cost.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Bassetlaw and (b) England were overpaid tax credits in 2004; and of these how many are being pursued for repayment.

Dawn Primarolo: For the number of tax credits overpayments, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 946–48W. Details of how overpayments are recovered are provided in the Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit." Wherever practical overpayments are recovered out of future tax credit payments. Where an award of tax credits has ceased and there remains an overpayment to be recovered, the Inland Revenue issues claimants with a Notice to Pay". The claimant has the option to choose to pay back an overpayment over 12months.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are being charged interest on tax credits overpaid to them in 2004 through no fault of their own.

Dawn Primarolo: None that I am aware of.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are being used to determine whether to write off tax credits overpaid to people during 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 (What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?") sets out their approach to handling overpayments of tax credits.
	A claimant will not be asked to pay back an overpayment where it was caused by a mistake by the Inland Revenue and it was reasonable for the claimant to think their award was right.
	The Inland Revenue may also decide that a claimant should not be asked to pay back all or part of an overpayment, if this would cause hardship to the claimant and his/her family.

Unallocated Spending

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of unallocated departmental spending in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, and (c) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: Plan figures for departmental unallocated provision in 2005–06 were published in Central Government Supply Estimates 2004–05, Supplementary Budget Information (Cm 6133). Plan figures for 2006–07 and 2007–08 will be published in Central Government Supply Estimates 2005–06, Supplementary Budget Information.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Cleaning Contractors

Marion Roe: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on the terms of the employment of contracted cleaners in the House.

Archy Kirkwood: Most cleaning in both Houses of Parliament is carried out by external contractors. The main cleaning contract was awarded in September 2003 following a competitive procurement exercise. The cleaners who work in the Palace are not therefore employed by the parliamentary authorities but by the contractors who are, in the first instance, responsible for their terms and conditions.
	The contractor has kept the parliamentary authorities informed since issues of pay rates and other terms and conditions were first raised by the representatives of the cleaners. We understand that the contractor and the representatives of their employees are actively involved in discussions.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AIDS (Africa)

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on programmes to tackle AIDS in Africa.

Hilary Benn: Last year, I attended a series of meetings with my EU counterparts and Foreign Ministers to discuss ways of addressing reproductive health and HIV in Africa and future EC action on AIDS and other poverty related diseases. My PUSS also met with the European Commission representatives from Directorate-General (DG) Development and DG Research to discuss the need to focus on funding for new prevention technologies for HIV.
	DFID officials are engaging with the European Commission on the revision of their framework for tackling diseases of poverty called The Programme of Action to Confront HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through External Action".

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on food rationing in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: Iraq's Public Distribution System, established during the period of sanctions against Saddam Hussein, provides food virtually free of charge to the entire population regardless of need. The Iraqi Government have recognised that reform is now needed to move to a cash payment system targeted at the poor and unemployed. This should help Iraqi agriculture, encourage private trade and remove price distortions, at the same time as ensuring that families in need are properly provided for. The details will be a matter for the new Transitional Government.

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's activities in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: Since March 2003, DFID has committed £333 million for humanitarian and reconstruction projects in Iraq, and disbursed approximately £250 million.
	DFID's main objectives for reconstruction assistance in Iraq are: rapid, sustainable and equitable economic growth; effective and accountable governance; and social and political cohesion and stability. DFID has offices alongside the British embassy Baghdad and in Basra, helping to deliver and monitor our programme of assistance.
	Current DFID bilateral assistance in Iraq includes: employment generation and infrastructure repair in southern Iraq; building capacity within Iraq's public administration system; strengthening Iraqi civil society groups and encouraging broad political participation; capacity-building across the four southern governorates in both the public and private sector; and support to the justice and media sectors.
	More detailed information on DFID programmes in Iraq can be found at www.dfid.gov.uk.

Free Trade

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on the merits of free trade in relieving poverty.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We believe that fairer and freer trade rules will contribute significantly to tackling poverty.
	Developing countries are heavily punished by the trade barriers that rich countries maintain.
	It is for this reason that my right hon. Friend and I are working with other colleagues across Government for continued progress in the Doha Development Round of the WTO process.

Disaster Relief Areas

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on developing continuing relationships between communities in the United Kingdom and those in disaster relief areas.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID supports disaster prone countries around the world with disaster risk reduction programmes at the regional, country and community level and is always ready to provide immediate humanitarian assistance when disasters strike, and support subsequent recovery and reconstruction efforts. Many UK communities have existing links with communities in disaster prone areas, and in such cases it makes good sense to build on that relationship by offering support to the overseas community. Where no such relationship exists, there may well be further scope for developing twinning arrangements with the aim of providing practical support. A first step for those wishing to establish such community links would be to consult the relevant UK embassies and high commissions, and UK-based community organisations of the relevant countries.

Tsunami

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on reconstruction in countries affected by the Indian ocean tsunami.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on reconstruction in countries affected by the Indian ocean tsunami.

Hilary Benn: In addition to the £75 million that DFID has already committed for immediate relief in the aftermath of the tsunami, we will also make a contribution to the longer-term rehabilitation of the regions affected. This is likely to focus on providing support to rebuilding livelihoods and services for poor people.
	The governments of the countries affected by the tsunami are completing needs assessments with the support of the World Bank and others. DFID's plans for longer-term reconstruction will be formulated in response to these assessments in order to ensure that our assistance forms part of a properly co-ordinated reconstruction plan.

Zimbabwe

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development how much aid has been received by Zimbabwe in the 2004–05 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID expects to spend £25 million in Zimbabwe during 2004–05 compared with £34 million in 2003–04. DFID assistance has given priority to tackling HIV and AIDS, which affects some 25 per cent. of the adult population. We also continue to provide food, seeds, fertilisers and other practical forms of relief to some 1.5 million of the poorest people in Zimbabwe through international NGOs and the UN. The Government of Zimbabwe claim there was a bumper harvest last year and have therefore sharply scaled back international food aid. This claim has been contradicted by independent surveys, UN agencies and other agencies are monitoring food needs closely.

Sustainable Forestry (Africa)

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what steps he is taking to help to secure sustainable forestry in Africa.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is currently helping to develop forest policy, implement reforms, and strengthen forest governance in Ghana, Cameroon, Malawi, Kenya and South Africa. DFID recently designed a new £12 million programme of work on forest governance and trade in west and central Africa. This will continue to focus on reforms in Ghana and Cameroon, where EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partnership agreements offer the opportunity to bring EU consumer market forces into play. We are also supporting civil society strengthening and dialogue between governments, the private sector and NGOs in the Congo Basin region. Later this year we will begin a programme that supports links between the private sector in four African countries and European trade federations. Our aim is to increase the awareness of African companies to new market requirements and opportunities.

Angola

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact on (a) the amount of food donated by international donors and (b) the amount of food available to the population of Angola of the law which came into effect in December 2004 in Angola prohibiting the import and use of genetically modified crops; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Over the past year the international community in Angola has steadily reduced food aid contributions in line with the country's decreasing humanitarian needs and increasing crop production. As most donors provide cash funding to the World Food Programme (WFP), there has been no direct link between the reduction of food aid and the new law banning the introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods. When the new law was announced in March 2004, the USA replaced a food aid shipment of 19,000 tonnes of GM maize with 14,000 tonnes of non-GM sorghum. WFP uses donor funds to buy non-GM maize, beans and other food items in the southern Africa region. WFP has sufficient food in its warehouses to help Angola's 900,000 most vulnerable people until the end of March.

Angola

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the tendering process under the law implemented in December 2004 for contracts to mill food aid entering Angola; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: No tendering processes have yet been established by the Government of Angola as there are no plans to introduce genetically modified (GM) foods for milling into Angola. Angola has limited capacity to mill any cereals and is unable to do so on an industrial scale. The World Food Programme (WFP) runs two small mills, one in Luanda and another in Lobito, which it uses to mill maize. Until now, WFP has not received any genetically modified (GM) products for milling, although they do have restricted capacity to do so.

Commission for Africa

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the findings of the Commission for Africa will be presented to Parliament.

Hilary Benn: The members of the Commission for Africa are still working on their report and have not yet set a date for publication. Subject to discussion at the next full meeting of the Commission on 24 February, a decision would be made on the presentation of the report due to be published around the middle of March.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i)2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv)2007–08.

Hilary Benn: DFID Expenditure on external consultants was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million Percentage of aid programme 
		
		
			 1996–97 161 8 
			 2003–04 213 5 
		
	
	We do not forecast future spending on this item but all costs will be contained within agreed contractual limits.

Darfur

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK aid to Darfur during recent months.

Hilary Benn: UK aid is delivered to Darfur through UN agencies, NGOs, and international organisations, the effectiveness of which is monitored through regular field visits by the British Embassy in Khartoum and the Sudan Unit, and UN reports and evaluations. I am satisfied that we are doing all that we can under difficult circumstances. For example, the joint DFID-UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) evaluation of December 2004, said the response by UN agencies, NGOs and donors was inadequate through to early 2004, but that humanitarian assistance is now getting through. It described the situation since October 2004 as stabilising".

Departmental Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts in his Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) EDS and Fujitsu jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much, and over what period of time; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: No contracts have been awarded to EDS in the last two years. Fujitsu were awarded one contract to maintain Video Conference facilities for one year from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, at a cost of £152,098. The contract was awarded under a competitive Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Framework Agreement.
	DFID has also purchased equipment from Fujitsu using the OGC Framework Agreement.

Free Trade (Agriculture)

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the economic effects on developing countries of allowing free trade in agricultural products.

Hilary Benn: DFID has supported a range of research examining the economic effects on developing countries of allowing free trade in agricultural products.
	This includes work on the impact of EU Dairy reform on developing countries and on Food Security, Trade and Livelihoods Links. DFID also funds the World Bank Trade Policy Development Project (TPDP) that includes analysis of agricultural liberalisation, as well as work at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation on impacts of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) agricultural policies on developing countries.
	The general results of such research are that in the short term, costs and benefits are estimated to vary across producers and consumers and net exporters and importers. However, in the long term, developing countries will gain from freer world trade in agricultural products.
	In the short term it is estimated that developing countries that are net importers of food may see price rises when export subsidies are removed. Countries that benefit from the current distortions in global agricultural trade would also lose out (for example those that export products to the EU, receiving the same distorted higher price that EU producers receive).
	However, in the long term producers should benefit from higher prices and take advantage of lower tariffs to increase their exports. Studies have shown that liberalisation of all OECD farm policies would boost global agricultural trade volume by over 50 per cent. Also, following liberalisation, higher exports have boosted the agricultural component of economic growth in countries like Vietnam and Uganda at 4.6 per cent. and 4.4 per cent. per year respectively. This has also led to an increase in agricultural incomes and significant reductions in rural poverty.

Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI) in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: DFID has supported the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) since its inception in 2000. We provided an initial grant of £3 million in 2000 and from 2001 to date we have pledged some £35 million of which £28 million has already been disbursed. A further £7 million will be contributed in 2005–06. DFID's total contribution represents 5 per cent. of the total grants to GAVI.
	The figures are broken down as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2000–01 3 
			 2001–02 10.5 
			 2002–03 3.5 
			 2003–04 7 
			 2004–05 7

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of EU aid in each of the last five years was spent in heavily indebted poor countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The proportion of European Union aid going to countries eligible to receive relief through the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative is listed in the following tables. The tables show the percentage of Official Development Assistance (ODA) going to HIPC eligible countries, and also the percentage of both ODA and Official Assistance (OA) 1 combined. Table 1 contains data on EU member states aid only, while Table 2 provides the same information for European Commission aid. In 2003, 56 per cent. of allocated EC ODA went to low-income countries, an increase on 51 per cent. in 2002.
	
		Table 1
		
			 EU Members, Total 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 HIPC percentage ODA 31 35 37 38 45 
			 HIPC percentage total aid (ODA + OA) 29 31 33 34 41 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 European Commission 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 HIPC percentage ODA 25 22 28 31 35 
			 HIPC percentage total aid (ODA + OA) 16 13 19 23 23 
		
	
	Source:
	Development Assistance Committee (DAC)
	1 As defined by the DAC, ODA is donor assistance to developing countries, while OA is donor assistance to countries in transition.

HIV/AIDS Orphans

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to ensure that civil society, including faith-based organisations, in developing countries are able to access resources for meeting the needs of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and Aids.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We fully recognise the key contribution that civil society organisations (CSO) have to play in tackling HIV and AIDS. We are therefore actively working to promote CSO involvement in national AIDS responses. We are, for example, working to find ways to help the flow of resources from National AIDS Commissions to NGOs and CSOs. These, including faith-based organisations, have an important role in helping to meet the needs of children affected by AIDS—orphans and vulnerable children—in terms of protection, care and support.
	At the Global Partners' Forum on orphans and vulnerable children held in Washington DC in December 2004, I announced how the UK would meet our target of spending at least £150 million over the next three years to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. Most of this will be spent in Africa where the impacts of AIDS on children are most severe. We will mainly be providing funds though our country programmes to support national responses. We are already providing funds through NGOs to support vulnerable children in Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In a number of countries, such as Kenya and Zimbabwe, we are supporting the rapid assessment, analysis and action plan processes which have been led by UNICEF; effective civil society involvement in their implementation is an important issue for us. We are also in the process of developing support to UNICEF to work at both country level and in the case of southern Africa at sub-regional level to develop and implement national OVC action plans. We will be working with UNICEF to ensure that civil society organisations are appropriately included in these programmes.
	An additional means of ensuring that civil society organisations are appropriately involved in responding to the needs of children affected by AIDS will be provided as we renew our agreements with key UK NGOs such as HelpAge International and Save the Children to include relevant AIDS-related work as a key objective. Out of the 18 partnership agreements we have with UK-based NGOs, 14 have specific objectives on HIV and AIDS. We will also increase our Civil Society Challenge Fund from £10 million to £14 million in 2005 and encourage proposals from NGOs wanting to provide support in this field.

HIV/AIDS Orphans

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government will take during its G8 and EU presidencies to fulfill the commitment to champion the needs of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and Aids set out in the strategy for tackling HIV and Aids.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We will use our Presidencies of the G8 and the EU to increase action on AIDS. This will include attention to the situation of children affected by the pandemic, the orphans and vulnerable children. Committing resources to implement the Framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) living in a world with HIV and AIDS", which is the global guidance developed by UNICEF and partners and widely endorsed by the international community, including DFID, is key. The framework is being translated into national OVC action plans—16 have been developed in Sub-Saharan Africa and more are being planned.
	DFID has announced a commitment to spend at least £150 million over three years on OVCs (of which £44 million will go to UNICEF for the development and implementation of national OVC action plans). We will be encouraging other G8 and EU member states to increase their support to national programmes. The USA has, like us, already earmarked funding and endorsed the framework as have Germany and Denmark. Canada and France also see OVCs as a priority issue, yet others have not yet followed this line.
	Along with other member states we are engaging in the consultation process towards a new Programme for Action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis which the EC expects to adopt in 2006. The current Programme for Action does not address orphans and vulnerable children and we will consider how best to address this gap in the forthcoming consultations. Discussions on the new EU Development Policy have only just started. The Commission has produced a Consultation on the future of EU Development Policy Issues Paper", which includes consideration of the broad themes of Development of human resources and citizens' rights' and Combating inequality and promoting social cohesion", both of which are likely to include consideration of orphans and vulnerable children. Consultations with members of the European Parliament and other member states will take place in due course.

Israel, Syria and Iran

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what the average (a) income levels, (b) life expectancy, (c) per capita funding for education and (d) unemployment rate for (i) Israelis, (ii) Palestinians and (iii) Bedouins within Israel were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average (a) income levels, (b) life expectancy, (c) per capita funding for education and (d) unemployment rate for (i) Syrians, (ii) Kurds and (iii) Armenians within Syria were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the average (a) income levels, (b) life expectancy, (c) per capita funding for education and (d) unemployment rate for (i) Persians, (ii) Azeris and (iii) Kurds within Iran were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Statistics for the four countries requested are shown below. Breakdown by ethnic group in Israel, Syria and Iran is not readily available. DFID does not have a programme of assistance in any of these three countries.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Income per capita (constant 1995 US$)
			 Israelis 16,743 16,899 16,910 17,710 17,141 16,676 16,540 
			 Palestinians 1,423 1,477 1,523 1,442 1,163 905 857 
			 Syria 807 836 808 793 800 805 806 
			 Iran 1,566 1,572 1,587 1,658 1,723 1,819 1,899 
			 
			 Life expectancy (at birth)
			 Israelis 78 — — 78 — 79 — 
			 Palestinians 71 71 — 72 — 73 — 
			 Syria 69 — — 70 — — — 
			 Iran 68 — — 69 — — — 
			 
			 Education (approximate per capita US$)
			 Israelis — 1,301 1,268 1,293 — — — 
			 Palestinians — 70 64 70 — — — 
			 Syria 23 31 28 — 33 — — 
			 Iran — 72 73 73 86 — — 
			 
			 Unemployment rate (Percentage)
			 Israelis 7.7 8.5 8.9 8.8 9.3 10.3 10.7 
			 Palestinians 20.1 14.4 11.8 14.2 25.5 31.3 25.6 
			 Syria — — — — 11.2 — — 
			 Iran — — — — — — —

Microenterprises

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of microenterprises on the economic development of developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: A very large proportion of poor households own or work in microenterprises in the informal economy. In Africa, informal work is estimated to have accounted for almost 80 per cent. of non-agricultural employment and over 90 per cent. of new jobs. For women in Sub-Saharan Africa, the informal economy represents 92 per cent. of job opportunities outside agriculture.
	DFID has supported microenterprise development directly through financial services, skills, technology and buyers, and indirectly through an improved policy and legal operating environment for microenterprises. DFID's current commitments to microfinance development projects in Asia and Africa total approximately £50 million. DFID supports country investment climate assessments, and contributed to the World Development Report 2005: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone" that highlights how governments can promote investment, productivity and job growth.
	Most microenterprises operate informally, making collecting reliable data on their impact very difficult. However, microenterprises clearly play an important role in developing economies. The average share of the informal enterprise sector in non-agricultural official GDP varies from 27 per cent. in Northern Africa to 41 per cent. in Sub-Saharan Africa. We do know however that many poor individuals would much prefer less risky employment in larger enterprises or the public sector, than self employment in microenterprises.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many courses in the adult and continuing education sector were offered in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: There is no centrally held information on the number of courses offered. I have set out separately the numbers of learners in (i) adult and community learning and adult education courses run through local education authorities; (ii) LearnDirect; and (iii) Skills for Life, in the following tables.
	
		Adult education enrolments at 1 November 1993 to 2002 by accreditation, England -- Thousand
		
			  Former schedule 2—leading to an accredited qualification Former non schedule 2—not leading to an accredited qualification All enrolments 
		
		
			 1993 268 829 1,097 
			 1994 370 714 1,084 
			 1995 326 828 1,153 
			 1996 350 882 1,232 
			 1997 331 731 1,062 
			 1998 370 745 1,115 
			 1999 332 722 1,054 
			 2000 375 666 1,041 
			 2001 374 679 1,052 
			 2002 380 662 1,042 
		
	
	Source:
	Local education authorities
	The table covers adult enrolments on courses offered by local education authorities (LEAs). In April 2001, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) assumed funding responsibility for both LEA-secured adult and community learning and for former Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) funded provision. For 2003/04, the LSC introduced a new approach to collecting data on adult and community learning. The new data collection is more harmonised with other LSC funded learning (for example further education) and allows more flexible analysis. However, it is not possible to form a consistent historical series from the old and new data collections. Using the new data and methods, in 2003/04, a total of 842,000 learners were enrolled on Adult and Community Learning programmes.
	The figures in the following table show the numbers of learners on LearnDirect provision in England in each year since 2000/01, the earliest year for which figures are available.
	
		Learners on LearnDirect provision, England -- Thousand
		
			 Academic year Learner 
		
		
			 2000/01 78 
			 2001/02 340 
			 2002/03 450 
			 2003/04 511 
		
	
	Source:
	LearnDirect
	The final table shows the number of enrolments on Skills for Life courses in England since 2000/01—the earliest year for which figures are available.
	
		Enrolments on skills for life courses, England -- Thousand
		
			 Academic year Enrolment 
		
		
			 2000/01 726 
			 2001/02 1,068 
			 2002/03 1,295 
			 2003/04 1,438

Education Maintenance Allowances

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in Hartlepool have been in receipt of education maintenance allowances in each year since the scheme was introduced.

Ivan Lewis: The following figures give the number of students aged 16–18 years who were resident in Hartlepool LEA and who received an education maintenance allowance. The pilot began operating in Hartlepool in September 2000.
	
		
			 Academic year Total number of 16 to 18-year-olds 
		
		
			 2000–01 351 
			 2001–02 832 
			 2002–03 927 
			 2003–04 933 
		
	
	By 31 December 2005, 944 young people who are resident in Hartlepool had received an education maintenance allowance as part of the first year of the National scheme.

Higher Education Entrants

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 18-year-olds resident in Burnley entered higher education in the academic year 2002//03.

Kim Howells: The recent HEFCE publication Young participation in higher education" (HEFCE 2005/03) looks at the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency. A discussion of the participation divisions and trends (18-year-olds in 1994 to 18-year-olds in 2000) for constituencies is contained in the report (sections 2.12, 3.8 and 4.1).
	In addition, participation rates for parliamentary constituencies based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar). These indicate that, for the cohorts reaching 18 between 1997 and 1999, 23 per cent. of young people living in Burnley constituency entered higher education at age 18or 19 (the English average for these cohorts is 29 per cent.).

Higher Education Entrants

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants has there been to higher education establishments from schools within the London borough of Wandsworth in each of the last three years.

Kim Howells: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18-year-old applicants accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HMD courses. Figures for Wandsworth are given in the table.
	
		18-year-old applicants, domiciled in Wandsworth LEA, accepted through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) onto full-time undergraduate courses at UK HE institutions
		
			 Year of entry Accepted applicants 
		
		
			 2001 501 
			 2002 514 
			 2003 523 
		
	
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

International Students

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effect on the UK's ability to recruit international students by increased charges for visa extensions as proposed by the Home Office.

Kim Howells: In September 2004 a joint project team—comprising representatives from the Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the British Council—was asked to improve the evidence base around international students, and to undertake an assessment of the likely impact of increased leave to remain fees to attract more international students to the UK.
	The outcomes of this work will be made available, alongside a regulatory impact assessment for the education sector, when the Government announce their response to the Home Office Consultation on Review of Charges for Immigration Applications".

International Students

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the attractiveness of studying in the UK to international students.

Kim Howells: We recognise the importance of international students to the UK and this is reflected in the DfES International Strategy. We are considering a range of options for the future recruitment of international students in consultation with our funding partners and other stakeholders.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure by her Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B)2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on the Department's central advertising and publicity budget is set out as follows.
	In addition to expenditure from this central budget, expenditure from budgets allocated to individual programmes will also include spend on publicity related activity. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to separately identify all such publicity related expenditure.
	It is, however, possible to identify separately the Department's total expenditure on advertising, and this is set out as follows.
	
		Advertising and publicity budget
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1996–97 n/a 
			 1997–98 10,879 
			 2003–04 15,500 
			 2004–05 (4)15,108 
		
	
	(4)The figure for 2004–05 is the estimate of expenditure for the current financial year.
	
		Total departmental spend on advertising
		
			  £000(5) 
		
		
			 1996–97 7,538 
			 1997–98 9,992 
			 2003–04 11,210 
			 2004–05 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = costs not available at this point.
	(5)These figures include spend on advertising from the central advertising and publicity budget.
	Financial information for years beyond 2004–05 is yet to be formally agreed.

Specialist College Status (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in the Coventry area have specialist college status.

Stephen Twigg: Of the 19 maintained secondary schools in Coventry LEA, 12 are designated specialist schools. This includes two which were successful in the latest application round, announced on 26 January.

Youth Clubs/Services

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth clubs were available for young people to use in (a) England, (b) Kirklees and (c) Huddersfield in each of the last 10years.

Ivan Lewis: Youth clubs are delivered locally by local authority youth services and National and local Voluntary youth organisations. Information is not held centrally on the number of youth clubs run by each individual local authority.

Youth Clubs/Services

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was available for youth services in (a) England and (b) Kirklees in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The main source of funding for the Youth Service in the past has been within the local government finance settlement and part of the Education Standard Spending Assessment/Formula Spending Shares. Until 2003–04 there was no separately identifiable funding for the Youth Service. From 2003–04 and the introduction of Formula Spending Shares, there has been a Youth and Community sub-block containing unhypothecated resources for the Youth Service, among other items. The figures for England and Kirklees for the Youth and Community sub-block are in the following table. The local authority decides how much of this is spent on the Youth Service.
	
		£ million
		
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2003–04 513 4.3 
			 2004–05 539 4.5 
			 2005–06 570 4.7 
		
	
	The Transforming Youth Work Development Fund (TYWDF) provided the following levels of public funding for youth services in England and Kirklees during the years 2002–05
	
		£ million
		
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2002–03 20 169,787 
			 2003–04 8.8 65,627 
			 2004–05 8.5 67,556 
		
	
	The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) Fund provided the following levels of public funding for youth services in England and Kirklees during the years 2002–05
	
		£ million
		
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2002–03 7 57,334 
			 2003–04 8 65,439 
			 2004–05 5.5 44,989

CABINET OFFICE

Crown Servants (Pensions)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many former crown servants including defence personnel are in receipt of state pensions; and how many of those are payable (a) within the United Kingdom, (b) outside the United Kingdom and (c) in Zimbabwe.

David Miliband: Information on crown servants who are in receipt of pensions is not collected centrally. However, the civil service pension arrangements provide pensions to people who were formerly employed by Government Departments and agencies. The arrangements also provide pensions to people who were formerly employed as office holders or who worked for certain non-Crown bodies such as non-departmental public bodies. Pensions for the armed forces are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.
	As at 31 December 2004, 534,932 pensions were payable under the civil service pension arrangements to people resident in the United Kingdom. A further 14,301 were payable to non-UK residents, of whom 13 were resident in Zimbabwe. These figures include pensions payable to widows and widowers.

Newspapers/Periodicals

George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the (a) newspapers and (b) periodicals taken by his Department in each year since 1997; and how much the Department spent on each in each year.

David Miliband: Estimated expenditure on newspapers and periodicals for the Department in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		£
		
			  Estimated expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 51,000 
			 1998–99 27,000 
			 1999–2000 16,000 
			 2000–01 76,000 
			 2001–02 73,000 
			 2002–03 90,000 
			 2003–04 75,000 
		
	
	These figures have been taken from expenditure paid to the Department's central supplier of newspapers and periodicals; however, units within the Cabinet Office may use their own arrangements to make such purchases. In these instances the information is not recorded centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Public Service Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with officials from the public sector unions on public service reform.

Alan Milburn: holding answer 31 January 2005
	As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster I have not held formal discussions with public sector unions on the subject of public services reform. However, my hon.Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr.Miliband) chairs regular meetings of the Public Services Forum (PSF) which bring together public service unions and employers to discuss reform issues. The forum, established in September 2003 aims to improve the dialogue between unions, Government and public service employers on public services reform.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Age Discrimination

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to protect workers over 65 years from unfair dismissal.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under current unfair dismissal rules, employees of any age are entitled to make certain types of unfair dismissal claims where dismissal is for specified reasons. Employees cannot make general unfair dismissal complaints, however, if they have reached their employer's normal retirement age, or, in the absence of a normal retirement age, the age of 65. In its last consultation on the forthcoming age regulations, Age Matters", the Government proposed to abolish this upper age limit. This would mean that employees of all ages would be able to complain about any unfair dismissal. However, dismissal at a justified retirement age for the reason of retirement will potentially be a fair dismissal.
	The Government are currently finalising proposals on this matter in the course of preparing regulations to outlaw unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training. It aims to consult on the draft regulations later this year. The regulations will come into force on 1 October 2006.

Airbus A380

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the potential for job creation in the UK of the Airbus A380 Project.

Jacqui Smith: In March 2000, the Government announced that the A380 project was expected to generate, directly and indirectly, some 22,000 new jobs as well as helping to safeguard a further 62,000 jobs on existing Airbus programmes in the UK.

Airbus A380

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the UK contribution to date has been to the development of the Airbus A380; and how many aircraft will need to be sold for the investment to be recouped.

Jacqui Smith: HMG has contributed £530 million in repayable Launch Investment to Airbus UK for the design and development of the wings for the A380. The terms of the investment are commercially confidential.
	HMG is a strong supporter of Airbus and provided financial support for the A320 and A330/340 programmes. Both have been successful in the market, have repaid their original investment and are contributing strong extra receipts to the Exchequer.

Bank Accounts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to assist people who are unable to open bank accounts due to a lack of key identification documents, with particular reference to (a) the elderly, (b) the disabled and (c) non-UK nationals.

Stephen Timms: I have been ask to reply.
	The Money Laundering Regulations 2003 require the banks to satisfy themselves as to the identity of their customers. It is important to foster an identification regime that does not constrain access to financial services and deals sensibly and sensitively with special groups.
	The UK approach to anti-money laundering controls is flexible and risk-based with controls imposed in a cost-effective and proportionate way. High-level objectives are set out in the Money Laundering Regulations but the details of implementation are left to industry-produced guidance. In the case of the banks this is the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) Guidance Notes. The JMLSG Guidance Notes provide flexibility for vulnerable groups such as the disabled, those in care homes or sheltered accommodation, and for foreign nationals. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) Money Laundering Sourcebook also includes guidance on financial exclusion, which aims to help relevant firms ensure that, where people cannot reasonably be expected to produce detailed evidence of identity, they are not denied access to financial services, and are able to prove their identity by alternative means.
	Last year, FSA set up a working group of key stakeholders to look at the identification issue. The group comprises representatives of trade bodies and practitioners, consumers, government, law enforcement, credit reference agencies and forensic consultants. As part of this work, the FSA published a report in October on customer identification, ID—defusing the issue: A progress report", making proposals to the JMLSG. It proposed in particular including in a revised version of the JMLSG guidance notes, the scope for greater reliance on a single document to confirm ID and how firms should use electronic verification services methods.

Canatxx

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with Canatxx Gas Storage Ltd. and Canatxx Energy Ventures Ltd. with regard to their proposal for a new gas storage facility at Preesall Sawfield, Lancashire.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 1 February 2005
	As with other major gas infrastructure projects, my officials have had regular and frequent contacts with the company, in order to understand the project, its potential contribution to the operation of the GB gas market, and the extent to which it faces avoidable regulatory barriers. Records indicate my officials have met with representatives of Canatxx seven times since the project was bought to our attention in 2002. The meetings were as follows:
	17 April 2002—to alert DTI to the project
	23 September 2002—to discuss proposals for the Preesall gas storage project
	22 May 2003—project update
	12 January 2004—project update
	12 February 2004—project update
	2 September 2004—project update on NTS capacity and the project schedule
	3 December 2004—to introduce a new financial partner
	7 December 2004—Canatxx also were represented at a meeting to update existing and potential gas storage facilities on gas quality issues.

Company Insolvency

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are to protect funds owed to employees when a company goes into liquidation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Former employees of insolvent employers can claim redundancy payments, basic awards for unfair dismissal, protective awards and awards of other contractual debts such as unpaid wages, notice pay and outstanding holiday pay from Redundancy Payments Offices. Trustees of pension funds can claim for unpaid contributions on both the employer and employees' behalf. All payments are subject to statutory limits. Amounts over the statutory limits can be lodged as debts in the insolvency.

Energy Policy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of developments in the renewable energy industry in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for renewable energy development in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK.

Mike O'Brien: The prospects for renewables in Scotland is very good.
	In 2003 the Renewables Advisory Board commissioned the Supply Chain Gap analysis to look at the state of the renewables industry within Scotland and the rest of the UK. The aim of the study is to assist agencies in determining the most effective means of targeting their effort and resources. This report made a number of recommendations for renewables both in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
	Government have set a target that by 2010, 10 per cent. of electricity will be generated from renewable sources and an aspiration to double this by 2020. 10 per cent. of supply from renewables in 2010 would save approximately 2.5 MtC per year if the equivalent amount of energy were generated from gas. This is a UK target with specific Scottish issues being a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Energy Policy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken (a) to export renewable energy technologies developed within the United Kingdom to the developing world and (b) to market advancements in the field of renewable energy overseas; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has a Trade Promotion Service, specifically for renewable energy, which works closely with UK Trade and Investment, to facilitate the export and technology transfer of renewable energy into markets around the world.
	This service works in both the developing and developed countries and responds to all requests for support from UK companies wishing to export, however it is targeting developing countries in Asia, Thailand, Indonesia and China for example, and has helped companies in both South America and Africa.
	The service targets developing countries with strong political and fiscal policies for the development of renewable energy and which provide the best opportunity for UK business to succeed.

Fuel Poverty

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the likely change in the number of households containing young children that are fuel poor as a result of recent increases in energy prices;
	(2)  what measures are being taken to alleviate the impact on fuel poverty in households containing young children of recent increases in energy prices.

Mike O'Brien: The number of people in fuel poverty fell by three million, from 5.25 million in 1997 to 2.25 million in 2003.
	Analysis of the overall effects of changes in fuel prices and incomes suggests that the total number of vulnerable households in fuel poverty is likely to rise by a limited amount in 2004 and 2005—perhaps by up to 200,000 households in England, where vulnerable households are defined as those containing children, the elderly, the disabled or someone with long term sickness. It is not possible to break this figure down further.
	Data from the 2001 English House Condition Survey show that 15 per cent. of the 1.4 million vulnerable fuel poor households contained young children.
	Responsibility for tackling fuel poverty is devolved, and therefore the devolved administrations will be looking at how they each will meet their fuel poverty targets. In England, families claiming certain income and disability-related benefits with young children are eligible for assistance under Defra's Warm Front programme.

Launch Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid by her Department in launch aid in each year since 1997; how much has been repaid since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the effect of the aid on the creation of jobs.

Jacqui Smith: The Government's continued support through Launch Investment (LI) has secured high value jobs in the most important civil aerospace programme in the UK. It has been estimated that the support since 1997 would generate and safeguard over 100,000 jobs over the life of the programmes on new civil aerospace programmes in the UK. These are long-term programmes (more than 30 years) and therefore the precise number of jobs generated and safeguarded would not be known for some time.
	The following figures are the payments and receipts for LI for the years 1997–98 to 2003–04 inclusive.
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial year Payments Receipts 
		
		
			 1997–98 57.9 123.1 
			 1998–99 50 177 
			 1999–2000 66.4 201 
			 2000–01 52.6 147.8 
			 2001–02 188.7 142.5 
			 2002–03 258.2 108.2 
			 2003–04 323.6 108.2 
			 Total 997.4 1007.8

Rural Post Offices

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland fall within her Department's definition of rural post offices; and what percentage that represents of the total number of post offices in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Swan Hunter

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support her Department has given to the Swan Hunter Shipyard in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 148W.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what obligations she plans to place on the producers of business waste electrical and electronic equipment to finance the building up of the separate collection of such equipment.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are working with all stakeholders to implement the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive to achieve the maximum environmental benefit at the least cost. The WEEE directive specifies that producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), sold on a business to business (B2B) basis, should be responsible for the costs relating to its collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal. Producers will finance B2B EEE they place on the market, although they will be free to agree alternative contractual arrangements with their customers. Business end users will have responsibility for disposing of EEE, placed on the market before 13 August 2005, which is not being replaced on a like for like basis. If the equipment is being replaced, it will become the responsibility of the producer supplying the new equipment.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the likely collection rate for operation schemes dealing with business compliance with the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

Mike O'Brien: We estimate that in 2006 there may be approximately 1,250,000 tonnes in total of WEEE arising in the UK. Industry estimates suggest that over 600,000 tonnes of this WEEE may be separately collected at present. A figure for WEEE arising from business users only is not currently available.

Wind Farms

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) examined into the low frequency noise impact of wind turbines.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 27 January 2005
	There are four main studies on the impact of low frequency noises of wind turbines that have been commissioned and examined by my Department, which are:
	The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms, published 1996;
	Noise emission from wind turbines, published 1999;
	Aerodynamic noise reduction for variable speed turbines, published 2000, and
	Assessment of the Effects of Noise and Vibration from Offshore Wind Farms on Marine Wildlife, published 2001.
	Two others studies that have been commissioned and are both due to report in spring 2005 are:
	Study into the Effects of Wind Farms on the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array (joint study with MOD and BWEA); and
	The measurement and assessment of low frequency noise from three UK wind farms.

Wind Farms

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the separation distances required for the erection of wind turbine pylons over 100 metres in height.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 27 January 2005
	How wind turbines are set out and the distance between each turbine on any wind farm is a matter for the developer to propose on a case-by-case basis.
	There are obvious technical reasons for a certain distance between each turbine. It needs to be compact enough to minimise the capital cost, and big enough for adequate separations to lessen energy loss through wind shadowing from upstream machines. It is usual for there to be a distance between the turbines of around 3–10 rotor diameters The issue of wind farms and their proximity to dwellings and roads should be considered at the planning stage of individual developments and will be subject to policies in the local authority's development plan and the national policies set out in Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in improving women's rights in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Sarwar) on 1 February (UIN 211279).

Armament Sales (China)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of human rights in China.

Douglas Alexander: Over the last 15 years the Chinese Government has done much to help reduce poverty levels within China and promote economic improvements for its citizens. This effort to develop has led in some cases to an improvement in basic freedoms for citizens, e.g. there is more freedom to move around the country and outside the country. However, we remain concerned about many aspects of the human rights situation in China. A detailed assessment can be found in the most recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report for 2004 available at www.fco.gov.uk/humanrightsreport2004 and in the Library of the House.

Burma

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reports his Department has received of crimes against humanity committed by the government of Burma in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The British Government are one of the strongest critics of the Burmese regime's abuses of human rights. We are aware of a consistent pattern of serious violations over many years, particularly against ethnic groups. These have been highlighted in successive UK co-sponsored resolutions on Burma in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. But we do not consider that the atrocities constitute crimes against humanity", which have specific definitions under international law. Nor does the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro, use these terms to describe the situation there.

Burma

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's travel advice with regard to Burma was last (a) reviewed and (b) changed; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for Burma was last updated on 7 January 2005 and remains under regular review.

Burma

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the number of UK citizens travelling to Burma in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: According to available statistics the number of visits from the UK to Burma remains at a level similar to 1997:
	
		
			  Number of visits 
		
		
			 1997 4,081 
			 1998 4,629 
			 1999 4,479 
			 2000 1,378 
			 2001 2,533 
			 2002–03 3,098 
			 2003–04 4,500 
		
	
	It is our policy not to encourage tourism to Burma. We have drawn to the attention of travel organisations the views of the Burmese Democratic Movement that tourism is inappropriate at present due to the political and human rights situation there. As part of this policy, Burmese tourism officials are included in the European Union visa ban and asset freeze.
	For as long as such human rights violations continue, we would urge anyone who may be thinking of visiting Burma on holiday to consider carefully whether by their actions they are helping to support the regime and prolong such serious abuses.

Burundi

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the massacre at Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi on 13 August 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We were outraged by the atrocity committed at Gatumba on 13 August 2004, in which Congolese refugees, mainly Banyamulenge women and children, were targeted. Over 150 were killed.
	We and our international partners condemned the massacre in UN Security Council Presidential Statement 2004/30, and urged the UN and the Burundian Government to conduct urgent investigations.
	Following the conclusion of the UN's investigations, the international community reiterated its commitment to bringing the perpetrators of the massacre to justice and ending impunity in the Great Lakes region in Security Council Resolution 1577 (2004).

Burundi

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of alleged Mai Mai and Rwandan Hutu militia involvement in the massacre at Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi on 13 August 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Burundian rebel group, the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL), claimed responsibility for the Gatumba massacre. Reports from several sources, including survivors, suggested that the massacre was perpetrated by a group containing elements of FNL, Congolese Mai-Mai and Ex-Forces Armees Rwandaises (FAR)/Interahamwe forces.
	Investigations by the United Nations uncovered some evidence implicating Mai-Mai and Ex-FAR/Interahamwe. However, the UN's final report on the massacre said that there was not sufficient evidence to prove Mai-Mai and Ex-FAR/Interahamwe involvement.
	Ending impunity in the Great Lakes remains a UK priority and we continue to push for the perpetrators of the Gatumba massacre and other atrocities in the region to be brought to justice.

Burundi

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with members of (i) the Government of Burundi and (ii)the armed forces of Burundi concerning the security needs of refugee (A) camps and (B) groups in Burundi, with particular reference to the Banyamulenge; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The UK, working together with the United Nations and other international partners, has made clear to the Burundian authorities, including the armed forces, of the need to protect refugees of all communities living on Burundian territory.
	Both before and following the massacre at Gatumba on 13 August 2004, we, along with international partners and the UN Mission in Burundi, urged the Burundian authorities to take additional steps to improve the security situation of refugees, such as moving camps holding Banyamulenge groups away from border areas. However, many Banyamulenge wanted to remain as close to their homes in South Kivu as possible.

Central Africa

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the scale and (b) the nature of activity by the Conseil national pour la de"fense de la democratie/Forces pour la de"fense de la democratie in (i) the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (ii) Tanzania and (iii) Burundi since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie/Forces pour la Defense de la Democratie (CNDD-FDD) is a former rebel group that operated in Burundi, from Democratic Republic of Congo territory and was alleged to have infiltrated Burundian refugee camps in Tanzania.
	Although the CNDD-FDD was not party to the Burundian peace agreement of August 2000 (the Arusha Accord), it subsequently signed ceasefire agreements with the Transitional Government of Burundi in December 2002 and November 2003. Its leaders have since joined the Transitional Government and are working towards elections by 30 April 2005. Its forces are being integrated into the new national army.

EU Constitution

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many copies of the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, released on 26 January, have been published; what the final projected print-run is; what the per-unit publishing cost is; and what the total budget for the publication is.

Jack Straw: 200 copies of the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe were printed prior to introduction of the EU Bill on 26 January to ensure sufficient copies were available in the Libraries of both Houses. Subject to demand, we plan to publish 1,500 copies as a Command Paper prior to Second Reading of the EU Bill at an estimated cost of £14,000 for printing and distribution (approximately £9.33 unit cost). The Commentary will also be available for purchase from Her Majesty's Stationery Office for £47.10. This and other Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publications can be accessed free of charge via the FCO website (www.europe.gov.uk).

EU Constitution

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Foreign Office staff worked on the compilation of the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, released on 26 January; how many man-hours were allocated to its compilation; how many man-hours were consumed; what consultations concerning this publication were held with bodies outside his Department; and what costs were incurred.

Jack Straw: At least 11 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff were involved at times with drafting the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The FCO does not keep a record of man-hours worked on individual projects. The Commentary represents the considered view of the Government as a whole. I refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply I gave to him today on costs involved in its publication and distribution (UIN213187).

EU Constitution

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what date and in what form he will publish the range of material to accompany the constitutional treaty to which the Prime Minister referred on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1456W; and what the price of such material will be.

Denis MacShane: A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Guide to the EU, which includes basic information about the constitutional treaty as well as general information about how the EU works, was published on 1 November 2004. Members of the public may request a free copy of this guide via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.europe.gov.uk). An FCO Commentary analysing the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe compared with the existing EU treaties was laid in Parliament on 26 January. The commentary can be downloaded from the FCO website free of charge. It will be published as a Command Paper in time for Second Reading of the EU Bill and will be available for reference at central libraries and for purchase from Her Majesty's Stationery Office at £47.10. Further information about the new treaty will be made available by the Government in due course, but decisions about the form and timing of this information have not yet been made.

Georgia

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department provides to Georgia.

Douglas Alexander: The bulk of the Government's assistance to Georgia comes from the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral technical assistance programme. DFID is providing £2 million this financial year. Most of the assistance the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides comes from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), which is jointly administered by FCO/MOD/DFID.
	Examples of GCPP projects in Georgia, which we expect to total in excess of £1 million for this financial year, include:
	supporting the conflict resolution work of Sir Brian Fall, the UK Special Representative to the South Caucasus;
	building the capacity of the research and information services and other support functions in the Georgian Parliament, and examining the working methods of the committees;
	support for the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative, which is a framework for dialogue, contacts and exchange of views between parliamentarians from the three South Caucasus states;
	a needs assessment mission to assist the Georgian National Security Council;
	building NGO capacity across the regions of Georgia to monitor corruption;
	support for confidence-building measures and dialogue between the parties across the conflict divides;
	a needs assessment mission looking at police reform.
	Outside the GCPP, FCO assistance has been provided for a variety of other projects including recycling and destruction of stockpiles of ammunition and bombs; training for the creation of a public broadcasting service; assistance in providing legal aid in association with the Georgian Parliament's Human Rights Committee; and work with Azerbaijani and Armenian minorities within Georgia.

Iran

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last contacted his Iranian counterpart about the return of the Royal Marine boats and equipment that were seized on 21 June 2004.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the status of the boats with Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, Iran's Foreign Minister, when they last met on 23 November 2004. He did so with Dr. Hassan Rouhani, the Secretary-General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, on 13 December 2004. The British Ambassador in Tehran and his deputy have discussed the matter with senior officials at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on several occasions in December 2004 and January 2005.

Israel

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the (a) social, (b) economic and (c) humanitarian impact of the Absentee Property Law in Israel, with particular reference to its impact on the peace process; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We have made no specific assessment of the social, economic or humanitarian impact of the Absentee Property Law, or its impact on the peace process. However, we are concerned by the potential impact of the Law, and our Ambassador in Tel Aviv has written to the Israeli Justice Minister requesting more information.
	We have raised our concerns at the highest levels of the Government of Israel about the destruction of Palestinian homes and agricultural land, the imposition of restrictions on the movement of goods and people (also known as the closures), the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and the denial of access for humanitarian and medical agencies to those in need. All of these have contributed to Palestinians' sense of frustration and hopelessness, and make a comprehensive settlement more difficult to achieve. A solution to this conflict is crucial both for Israelis and Palestinians, and for broader prospects of long-term peace in the region. That is why progress on the Middle East peace process is one of the highest priority policies for this Government.

Middle East

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards the objectives of the Middle East roadmap to peace, with particular reference to his discussions with the (a) Israeli Prime Minister and (b) Palestinian President.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both visited the region in late 2004. In discussions with both sides they found a real recognition that both the Israelis and Palestinians share responsibility for progress on getting back to the roadmap and finding a solution to this conflict. We believe there is an opportunity to build on the current momentum in the Middle East peace process following Mahmoud Abbas' election on 9 January, and with Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza and part of the northern West Bank later this year.
	The prospects for progress towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict are now better than they have been for many years. We must help both sides make the most of this opportunity. The London Meeting on 1 March aims to support the new Palestinian leadership, Palestinian institution building, and contribute to progress on the roadmap.

Ministerial Travel

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list overseas trips he and his departmental Ministers have made on official business or using official transport since 1997, broken down by date.

Jack Straw: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, since 1999, the Government publish, on an annual basis, the total cost of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are also available in the Library of the House.

Pakistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government in Pakistan on its treatment of Christians.

Douglas Alexander: Although there have been no recent ministerial exchanges on the treatment of Christians in Pakistan, the British Government continues to take a serious view of any persecution of minorities and of other religious intolerance and discrimination in Pakistan. We raise our human rights concerns with the Pakistani authorities, including on the treatment of Christians, in concert with our EU partners, most recently in December 2004.

Sri Lanka

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the source is of the information on the Foreign Office website on travel advice for those visiting Sri Lanka; and how the information is updated.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice draws on a variety of sources including the local knowledge and experience of the FCO's overseas posts and intelligence sources. South Asia Group within the FCO is responsible for collating and assessing this information before it is published on the website. Our travel advice is kept under constant review. It is routinely checked once a month and following any significant incident. At a minimum, it must be revised and re-issued at least once every three months. In a developing crisis, the advice can be updated much more regularly, sometimes several times a day. Substantive amendments, such as a change to the level of advice, are agreed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office aims to recruit the most talented candidates from all areas of the UK's diverse population. In addition to the requirement under the Civil Service Commissioner's Code to advertise external vacancies nationwide in national and regional press, we advertise in the ethnic minority press as well as professional and specialist publications.
	Our records show that we spent £607,655 in 2002 and £353,587 in 2003 on advertising staff vacancies.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Sudanese authorities regarding the cases of (a) Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam of the Sudan Social Development Organisation and (b) Mr.Abu-aminaa of the Sudanese Army.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about the arrest and detention of Dr. Adam and of Mr. Abu-aminaa. We have raised Dr. Adam's case numerous times with the Sudanese authorities since his arrest in December 2003 and will continue to do so. I have asked our Ambassador in Khartoum to raise the case of Mr.Abu-aminaa with the Sudanese Government.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct the UK representation in Sudan to investigate the case of Shamseldiu Idries-Al-amiu recently deceased.

Chris Mullin: Following the death of Shamseldiu Idries-Al-amiu on 10 September 2004, we raised our concerns with the Government of Sudan as part of the EU-Sudan Human Rights dialogue with the Government.

Torture-obtained Information

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has used information obtained by the use of torture by another country since May 1997.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 413W.

Travel Costs

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: holding answer 9 December 2004
	The costs of Ministerial travel for five Ministers prior to Financial Year 2001–02 and six since are laid out in the table below.
	
		£
		
			 Financial year Overseas travel UK travel 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,659,098 31,960 
			 1998–99 1,395,663 40,308 
			 1999–2000 1,971,737 34,894 
			 2000–01 1,881,679 33,988 
			 2001–02 1,681,127 37,064 
			 2002–03 1,745,692 39,902 
			 2003–04 1,649,520 24,401 
		
	
	The budget, projected spend, for the 2004–05 Financial Year is £1,514,530 for overseas travel and £23,400 for UK travel.
	Details of travel costs for special advisers and officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, travel costs for those advisers who accompany their Ministers overseas are included in the annual list of Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers.

Zimbabwe

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who signed the Agreements of OJ L 391 volume 47 of 31 December 2004 on behalf of the Zimbabwean Government; where the signing took place; what travel restrictions applied to the individuals involved; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Mr. Gift Punungwe, the Zimbabwean Ambassador in Brussels, signed the Agreements in OJ L 391 volume 47 of 31 December 2004 on behalf of the Zimbabwean Government. EU sanctions were not lifted to enable this procedure to take place, and did not need to be lifted. Mr. Punungwe is not on the EU's visa ban list. It is normal practice for Ambassadors in Brussels to sign agreements on behalf of their countries.

WALES

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office was established July 1999. The total cost for external consultants incurred during 2003–04 was £587. The Wales Office is not currently anticipating that it will incur any costs for external consultants in 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 or 2007–08.

Departmental Policies (Clwyd, South)

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999 with a remit to ensure the smooth running of the Welsh devolution settlement. This applies to the whole of Wales and it is not possible to distinguish the effect on a particular constituency. The Wales Office has reported annually on its activities in its departmental reports and, following the machinery of Government changes in 2003, in its annual report (Cm 6228) published in April 2004.

Departmental Policies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999 with a remit to ensure the smooth running of the Welsh devolution settlement. This applies to the whole of Wales and it is not possible to distinguish the effect on a particular constituency. The Wales Office has reported annually on its activities in its Departmental Reports and, following the machinery of Government changes in 2003, in its Annual Report (Cm 6228) published in April 2004. :

Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i)domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office is not responsible for any official residences.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the speeches his special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date.

Peter Hain: None.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1226W.

Welsh Language

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board on 1 March, and implemented on 28 May, 2004. Prior to that, we had operated within the spirit of the former Welsh Office scheme.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Rates

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 773W, on benefit rates, if he will make it his policy to collect figures for the number of people in hospital for more than a year living on the weekly benefit rate of £15.90 who suffer from mental ill-health.

Malcolm Wicks: We have no plans to collect information on hospital in-patients by type of illness because it is not relevant to the adjustment of their benefits.

Departmental Policies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli, Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of his Department's policies and actions since it was established.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001 the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Preseli Pembrokeshire will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 31 per cent. of adults and 7 per cent. of children in Wales are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Preseli Pembrokeshire who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the following table.
	
		Preseli Pembrokeshire parliamentary constituency
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 5,600 
			 2002 5,700 
			 2003 6,000 
			 2004 6,100 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre. Figures are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Preseli Pembrokeshire, the proportion in employment has risen to 71.6 per cent.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 1,950 in Preseli Pembrokeshire alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures for 2002–03 show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 1,400 families in Preseli Pembrokeshire.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. Around 3,905 pensioners in Preseli Pembrokeshire are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £38.36 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally for this year eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the One-off 70 plus payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80 plus annual payment are available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent., respectively. Some 15,600 pensioners in Preseli Pembrokeshire have benefited from this increase.

Lone Parents

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to lone parents who wish to return to work in Hendon; how many people have taken up this assistance; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Work focused interviews provide lone parents with the opportunity to discuss work options and find out about the help available to them through the New Deal for Lone Parents. The New Deal offers lone parents access to support, advice and training which will improve their employment prospects. Other measures to tackle barriers to lone parents entering work include improving the availability of affordable child care and making work pay through the introduction of child tax credit and working tax credit.
	1,030 lone parents have started New Deal for Lone Parents in Hendon since the beginning of the programme in October 1998, and 440 have gained a job. Figures for lone parents who have participated in and gained work through other New Deal programmes are not available.

Pension Credit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's take-up targets are for pension credit for (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has a Public Service Agreement to have 3 million households in receipt of pension credit in Great Britain by the end of February 2006. As part of last year's Spending Review, we gave a commitment to increase that to £3.2 million households by the end of March 2008. There are no separate targets for Scotland.

Pension Credit

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to alter the regulations covering entitlement to pension credit to take account of the aspects of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 regarding the equal treatment of homosexual couples.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government hope that the provisions of the Civil Partnership Act can be commenced about a year after the granting of Royal Assent. Consequential changes will be made to the pension credit regulations to the same time scale.

Pension Credit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department decided to publish information on pension credit figures on a quarterly basis.

Malcolm Wicks: Pension credit reporting arrangements were originally designed for a new policy bedding in during its first year. A decision was taken at the beginning of November 2004 that, starting in 2005, information on numbers of pension credit recipients would be reported on a quarterly basis, as stated in the pension credit progress report published on 8 November 2004, a copy of which is in the Library.

Sheffield Forgemasters

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about the Sheffield's Forgemasters pension scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: My hon. Friend is aware of the situation of Sheffield Forgemasters and its pension scheme.
	On 18 November 2004, I met Graham Honeyman, Managing Director of Sheffield Forgemasters, my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) to discuss their concerns about the pension scheme. Subsequently, officials met Graham Honeyman on 20 January 2005 to discuss general points around current and future pensions legislation.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on (a) indoor bought plants, (b) indoor hired plants, (c) outdoor bought plants and (d) outdoor hired plants in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. No expenditure was incurred on bought or hired outdoor plants; the amount spent on indoor plants was is set out in the following table:
	
		£
		
			  Indoor bought plants Indoor hired plants 
		
		
			 1999–2000 Nil Nil 
			 2000–01 Nil 1,154 
			 2001–02 Nil 2,769 
			 2002–03 Nil 2,011 
			 2003–04 328 1,685 
		
	
	The costs for indoor hired plants include the supply and maintenance of the plants. The costs for hired plants related to Meridian Court, Glasgow. This contract ended in December 2004.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on (a) new furniture and (b) hired furniture in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office occasionally hires furniture for meetings and events, but details are not held centrally. The amount spent on new furniture in each year since 1 July 1999 was as follows.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1999–2000 56 
			 2000–01 17 
			 2001–02 5 
			 2002–03 28 
			 2003–04 5

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Details of expenditure on first class travel is not recorded centrally. Information relating to overseas travel by Ministers is published on an annual basis. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2004 is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2004–05 will be published as soon as possible at the end of the current financial year.
	All official travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Fuel Poverty

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on tackling fuel poverty in Scotland in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent £766,857,750 on winter fuel payments in Scotland in the years 1999–2000 to 2003–04 and £14,795,457 on cold weather payments in Scotland in the years 1997–98 to 2003–04. Figures are not available for the years 1997–98 and 1998–99 for winter fuel payments. Cold weather payments costs are based on estimated qualifiers. The figures for each of the relevant years are as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Winter fuel payments Cold weather payments 
		
		
			 1997–98 Not available 110,415 
			 1998–99 Not available 90,389 
			 1999–2000 138,934,500 185,733.50 
			 2000–01 150,447,500 8,129,672 
			 2001–02 151,897,500 2,831,511.50 
			 2002–03 153,854,000 2,925,071 
			 2003–04 171,724,250 522,665 
		
	
	In addition, the Scottish Executive has responsibility for the central heating programme and the warm deal scheme.

Fuel Poverty

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what categories of homes are eligible for assistance under measures to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: The Scottish Executive is responsible for schemes involving adaptations to homes in Scotland in order to tackle fuel poverty.

Pay Television Subscriptions

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the Office had one television subscription in 1999 and two television subscriptions each year thereafter. The costs are shown as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000 (6)37,146 
			 2000–01 10,032 
			 2001–02 10,672 
			 2002–03 10,755 
			 2003–04 10,845 
		
	
	(6)This includes the initial set up costs in Dover House, London, where the subscription provides access to the Parliamentary Video Service.

Smoking

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many rooms within his Department smoking is allowed.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office has no rooms set aside in which smoking is permitted.

Taskforces

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 20 December 2004
	The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since then, the Office has set up one short-life working group looking at issues related to Gaelic broadcasting; the cost was approximately £1,300.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were (a) applied for and (b) obtained in each police authority in each year since their introduction, broken down by recipients aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 20, (iii) 20 to 30, (iv) 30 to 50 and (v) over 50; how many were issued as (A) an attachment to a criminal conviction and (B) in response to non-criminal nuisance or disorder; and how many have been breached in each case.

Hazel Blears: The available information on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) applied for and issued, on application or following conviction, is given in tables A to F by Magistrates Courts Committee (MCC) area. These areas are coterminous with police force areas. Data by the requested age groups are not readily available. However, age group data are broken down into juveniles (10–17) and adults (18+). Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are not given to children under the age of 10.
	The number of breaches of an ASBO, by MCC area, taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, are given in table G. These data are currently available for the period 1 June 2000 up to 31 December 2002. Data for 2003 are due to be released shortly. The information contained in tables A to G has been placed in the Library.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applications for extensions to existing antisocial behaviour orders in Stoke-on-Trent have been (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the past three years;
	(2)  how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Stoke-on-Trent in each of the past three years; and how many of them have been breached.

Hazel Blears: For antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued, within which restrictions are imposed in the Stoke-on-Trent city council local government area, up to 30 June 2004 (latest available), the Home Office has received one notification of an order being varied. The outcome did not affect the duration of the order.
	The number of notifications, as reported to the Home Office, of ASBOs issued are given in the table.
	The number of antisocial behaviour orders, as notified to the Home Office, wherein restrictions are imposed in the Stoke-on-Trent city council local government area, by period.
	
		
			 Period 1 July to 30 June each year Total issued 
		
		
			 2001–02 2 
			 2002–03 6 
			 2003–04 12 
			 Total 20 
		
	
	Information on the number of breaches of an ASBO are taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database. These data, at Criminal Justice System level only, are currently available for the period 1 June 2000 up to 31 December 2002. During this period the total number of ASBOs issued within Staffordshire, as reported to the Home Office, is 22. Of these, six persons breached their ASBO.
	ASBO breach data for 2003 are due to be released shortly.

Burglars

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) householders and (b) shop-owners who have injured burglars on their property have been charged but not prosecuted by (i)magistrates' courts and (ii) Crown courts in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  in how many cases where (a) householders and (b) shop-owners have injured a burglar on their property it has taken more than (i) three months and (ii)six months from the start of the investigation for charges to be brought;
	(3)  how many (a) householders and (b) shop-owners who have injured burglars on their property have been investigated but not charged in each of the past 10 years.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 24 January 2005
	Statistics of persons investigated for or charged with crimes are not collected centrally.

CCTV (Stoke-on-Trent)

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been allocated for CCTV schemes in Stoke-on-Trent in each of the past seven years.

Hazel Blears: Since 1997, the Home Office has allocated £549,918 to Stoke-on-Trent to ensure full coverage of the system across the town under the Closed Circuit Television Initiative, which formed part of the Crime Reduction Programme.
	Since the completion of the Crime Reduction Programme in 2002, crime reduction funding has been allocated directly to the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership through the Building Safer Communities fund and to Basic Command Unit (BCD) Commanders through the BCD fund. These funding streams finance a variety of interventions, including CCTV, to tackle local crime priorities. Allocation of funding across the area is the responsibility of the local authority and West Midlands police.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 29 November 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Yulima Vicentre Vidal.

Charles Clarke: I have now written to my right hon. Friend.

Correspondence

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Citizenship, Immigration and Counter-Terrorism will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basingstoke of 24 September 2004 regarding his former constituent Mr. Kamaljit Kanda.

Des Browne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 31 January.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the letters dated 6 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to (a) Mrs Saima Manzoor Ahmed and (b) Mr. Abdul Rahman Sirwan.

Charles Clarke: The information is as follows:
	(a) I replied to my right hon. Friend on 11 January 2005.
	(b) I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 January 2005.

Crime (Sentences) Act

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mandatory minimum sentences have been imposed under the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 in respect of (a) third-time burglars and (b) third-time drug dealers.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The table shows the information reported to the Home Office on persons sentenced under sections 110 and 111 of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (previously section 4 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997) in England and Wales for a third offence of class A drug trafficking and a third offence of domestic burglary in the years 2000 to 2002.
	Statistics for 2003 are due for publication at the end of February and those for 2004 in the autumn.
	
		Persons sentenced under the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, England and Wales
		
			  Minimum 7 years for third class A drug trafficking offence Minimum 3 years for third domestic burglary 
		
		
			 2000 2 — 
			 2001 1 6 
			 2002 — 2

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on first-class travel in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The travel and subsistence policy for the core Home Office currently allows civil servants first class travel for official journeys for the following:
	(1) Rail—UK and overseas
	(2) Air—UK and overseas
	(3) Ferry and Eurostar—overseas.
	Policy on class of travel allowed for each type of travel is given as follows:
	Rail travel
	The class of rail travel to which staff are entitled is as follows:
	
		
			 Grade Class of travel (including travel by sleeping berth) 
		
		
			 SEO (and equivalent and above) First class 
			 HEO (and equivalent and below) Standard class 
		
	
	Sea travel
	Staff are entitled to travel first class regardless of grade.
	Air travel
	The class of air travel is governed by the airlines' fare structure on the various routes, the grade of the member of staff travelling, and the duration of the flight. Entitlements are as follows.
	The table details the total travel expenditure for the years requested.
	
		£
		
			  UK airfares Overseas airfares UK train Overseas train Overseas ferry fares Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 119,866 110,297 151,930 2,203 0 384,296 
			 1997–98 66,742 168,342 384,618 0 285 619,987 
			 1998–99 107,276 192,583 488,488 8,717 0 797,064 
			 1999–2000 194,399 314,231 776,013 28,041 10 1,312,694 
			 2000–01 304,941 427,627 1,202,930 45,667 0 1,981,165 
			 2001–02 453,745 517,073 1,669,004 12,189 0 2,652,011 
			 2002–03 395,456 381,706 2,172,393 8,394 0 2,957,949 
			 2003–04 987,972 415,106 1,939,607 21,178 0 3,363,863 
		
	
	The increases in travel costs since 2000 can be largely attributed to changes in strategy within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate including increased staff numbers and the need to travel as a result of new policy initiatives and targets for improved IND performance. Other contributing factors have been related to providing advice to the organisers of the 2002 Football World Cup in Japan and Euro 2004 in Portugal and the creation of new units to support the police reform agenda.

Departmental Policy

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the South Dorset constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.
	For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the Dorset police force increased by 169, from 1,284 to 1,453. The Government's introduction of Community Support Officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 33 CSOs on Dorset streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, Dorset has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 27per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 25 per cent.
	Dorset police force will receive £66.0 million in general grants in 2005–06, an increase of 3.75 per cent. (£2.4 million). Dorset benefits from the decision to provide a funding floor of 3.75 per cent. If the funding formula had been strictly applied, the force would have received £4.2 million less. General grants funding to Dorset police has increased by 22 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, Dorset will also receive around £5 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the Chief Constable.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and anti-social behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Two CCTV projects in the Weymouth and Portland CDRP area received a total of £691,489 from the CRP.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £380,488 has been allocated to Weymouth and Portland CDRP and £295,714 to Purbeck CDRP under these initiatives. A further £1.98 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office Regional Director in the South West for CDRP capacity building across the region.
	The Government's Crime Reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from anti-social behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Dorset a total of 56 anti-social behaviour orders have been issued as of 27 January 2005, including eight in Purbeck and 12 in Western Dorset (which includes Dorset West and Weymouth and Portland). Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.
	Tackling drug misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10-year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the House Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focusing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Dorset has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Dorset Drug Action Team amounted to £1.58 million, rising to £2.09 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the South Dorset constituency can be obtained from the Dorset Drugs Action Team For contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.
	The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders" fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website, http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
	This year, 2005, is the year of the volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org.
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Essex/Southend Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prosecutions for (a) failing to provide a breath test and (b) failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis (i) Essex Police and (ii) Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many prosecutions for (a) disobeying a police constable stopping traffic and (b) failing to stop for a police constable (i) Essex Police and (ii)Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many prosecutions for failing to comply with a road sign (a) Essex Police and (b) Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for Essex Police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area, 1997 to 2002 (latest available) is given in the tables.
	2003 data will be available in March 2005.
	
		Table A: Court proceedings for specific motoring offences within (a) Essex Police Force Area(7) and(b) South East Essex Petty Sessional Area (PSA), 1997 to 2002 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Essex Police Force Area(7)   
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S. 7 (6)] 226 240 297 203 243 340 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S 7 (6)] 9 12 13 — 1 — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 122 128 121 58 50 62 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 1,175 1,187 923 1,161 1,391 1,406 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] 24 961 926 1,166 806 25 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 201 134 149 134 81 132 
			
			 South East Essex PSA2, 3   
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S. 7(6)] 54 49 79 52 62 75 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 2 4 4 — — — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88S6(4)] 30 27 26 10 16 15 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 560 545 417 576 604 633 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] — 1 5 10 1 — 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 39 28 30 37 19 23 
		
	
	(7)Covers both magistrates' courts and the Crown Court.
	(8)Covers magistrates' courts only.
	(9)Covers Southend and includes parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	
		Table B: Findings of guilt at all courts for specific motoring offences within Essex Police Force Area, 1997 to 2002 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S. 7(6)] 197 202 249 176 214 282 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath it at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 9 9 11 — — 1 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 59 42 52 41 30 27 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 1,036 1,063 802 1,021 1,252 1,262 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] 23 938 902 1,094 717 16 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 121 82 103 93 52 84 
		
	
	
		Table C: Findings of guilt at all courts for specific motoring offences within South East Essex PSA1, 21997 to 2002 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Breath test and specimen offences: 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S. 7 (6)] 44 37 69 48 58 62 
			 In charge or a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 2 3 4 — — — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 11 7 9 6 12 4 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 504 500 389 524 534 565 
			 Driving on prohibited road[RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] — 1 4 8 1 — 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 23 17 19 28 13 15 
		
	
	(10)Covers Southend and includes parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	(11)Includes findings of guilt at South East Essex PSA and at Southend Crown Court.

Fireworks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firework-related prosecutions occurred in (a) England and Wales, (b) Wales and (c) the South Wales Police Force area in (i) 2002, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2004.

Hazel Blears: The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database on prosecutions for firework offences are shown in the table.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences relating to fireworks, England and Wales, 2002–03(12)
		
			   South Wales PFA Wales England and Wales 
			 Offence description Principal statute 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc. public place Explosives Act 1875 S.80 Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol, etc.) Act 1985, S2A(1) 1 1 5 2 63 48 
			 Being in possession of fireworks etc. in or when entering a designated sports ground  — — — — 5 3 
			 Contravention of regulations —offences under S.12 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 18 3 20 6 272 170 
		
	
	(12)These data are on the principal offence basis
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	Firework offences can also attract penalty notices. When penalty notices for disorder were introduced in 2003–04, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, they included the offence of throwing fireworks under section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875. Three further firework offences were added to the scheme from 11 October 2004. These were made under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 (under section 11 of the Fireworks Act 2003) and cover breach of the national fireworks curfew, the illegal possession of category 4 fireworks and possession of an adult firework by a person aged under 18.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices for littering have been issued by Coventry community support officers in the last year.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 January 2005
	The information requested is not available. Community support officers in West Midlands police have been designated with the power to issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) but no central record is kept of the number of FPNs issued.

Identity Cards/Passports

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the assessment of the UK Passport Service biometric trial has been completed.

Des Browne: The United Kingdom Passport Service (UKPS) Biometrics Enrolment Trial concluded on 24 December 2004 and the findings are currently being evaluated with the final report due for delivery to UKPS in February 2005. This will be followed by a Quality Assurance process prior to release during March 2005.

Identity Cards/Passports

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where each of the focus groups convened for the consultation on the legislation on identity cards met.

Des Browne: Qualitative research was commissioned during the consultation period on the draft legislation to examine current public perceptions of ID cards. 18 group discussions were conducted with members of the public at 11 locations. Two group discussions took place at each of the following locations: London W1; Erdington, Birmingham; Wimborne, Dorset; Bridgend; East Cramlington, Northumberland; Edinburgh; Belfast and Greenford, Middlesex. One group discussion took place at each of the following locations: Randlay, Telford and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Identity Cards/Passports

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of adults in Scotland who for physical reasons are unable to provide (a) fingerprints and (b) iris scans for the purposes of the national identity cards scheme.

Des Browne: There is evidence from evaluations of equipment and research studies that for iris and fingerprints, between one per cent. and two per cent. of applicants will be unable to provide a usable fingerprint or iris biometric. The results from the United Kingdom Passport Service biometric pilot, in particular the results from the disabled quota, will provide more detail. For some within this group their biometrics may be readable with special equipment or with the help of manual assistance.

Identity Cards/Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rate of (a) false positive matches and (b) false negative matches in the UK Passport Service biometrics trial has been; and what estimates have been made of these rates in a database of all UK adults.

Des Browne: The analysis of false matches/negatives was outside the scope of the United Kingdom Passport Service Biometrics Enrolment Trial which concluded on 24 December 2004.
	The rates of false negatives and false positives in the enrolment have not been estimated with any degree of certainty because no final decision on the technology to be used in the scheme has been taken and work on this subject will be undertaken in the future.

Identity Cards/Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of UK adults who for physical reasons are unable to provide (a) fingerprints and (b) iris scans for the purposes of the national identity cards scheme.

Des Browne: There is evidence from evaluations of equipment and research studies that for iris and fingerprints, between one per cent and two per cent of applicants will be unable to provide a usable fingerprint or iris biometric. For some within this group their biometrics may be readable with special equipment or with the help of manual assistance. The results from the UKPS biometric pilot, in particular the results from the disabled quota, will provide more detail.

Immigration/Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the (a) scale and (b) nature of working by illegal immigrants in the UK.

Des Browne: By definition, the scale of illegal migrant working is difficult to measure because illegal immigrants fall outside of the United Kingdom official statistics. Consequently, there is no official estimate for the number of illegal immigrants working in the United Kingdom. The experience of workplace enforcement officials indicates that illegal migrant working tends to feature in commercial sectors characterised by low skilled, temporary employment in which labour is often supplied via sub-contractual arrangements. The Immigration Service has detected illegal migrant workers employed in various sectors, including hospitality (including hotels and restaurants), car washes and repair garages, the sex trade, horticulture and agriculture, food production, contract cleaning, manufacturing and the care home sector. The Government take seriously the harm caused by illegal working, including the risk to our immigration control and the exploitative treatment often experienced by workers. We have strengthened the law preventing illegal working and are examining how best to improve compliance and enforcement.

Immigration/Asylum

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applicants for asylum who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK who have served, or are serving, custodial sentences for crimes committed in the UK in each of the last five years for which there are records, have been (a) returned to their country of origin and (b) had their status revoked; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many applicants for asylum who have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK who have served, or are serving, custodial sentences for crimes committed in the UK in each of the last five years for which there are records, have been (a) returned to their country of origin and (b) had their status revoked; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Prison Service does not record information on deportation orders on the Inmate Information System. Information on the number of persons held in prison who are the subject of a deportation order is not therefore available except by examination of individual case files, at disproportionate cost.
	The number of asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom as a result of deportation action is given in the following table. There is no information on whether these cases would have been deported immediately after completing a prison sentence, without examining individual files at disproportionate cost.
	
		Persons removed from the United Kingdom as a result of deportation action, 1999 to 2003
		
			  1999(13) 2000(13) 2001(14) 2002(14) 2003(15) 
		
		
			 Persons removed(16) 1,210 1,280 450 415 — 
			 Of whom:  
			 Principal asylum applicants(17)140 145 85 100 — 
			 Non-asylum cases 1,075 1,140 365 315 — 
		
	
	(13)Deportation figures may be under-recorded in 1999 and 2000.
	(14)Figures for 2001 and 2002 have been estimated.
	(15)Data were not of sufficient quality for publication in 2003, however it is estimated that 480 persons were removed as a result of deportation action in this year. Due to poor data quality this is not an official statistic.
	(16)Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
	(17)Persons who had sought asylum at some stage. Excludes dependents of asylum seekers.
	Deportations are a specific subset of removals alongside persons subject to administrative removal, removal due to illegal entry action or those refused entry at port and subsequently removed. Information on the number of asylum seekers who have been deported in 2004 is not currently available. This is due to be published this summer in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2004".
	Information on the number of asylum applicants who had been granted leave to remain in the UK and then had their status revoked is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration/Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down the numbers of people who migrated to the UK in each of the last three years by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity.

Des Browne: The latest published statistics on the number of people granted indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in the UK by age and gender are given in the table.
	This information is published annually in the Command Paper Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" available from the Library of the House or via the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	Data on the ethnic origin of persons granted settlement are not collated and are therefore not available.
	
		Table 5.2: Grants of settlement on removal of time limit, by broad nationality, gender and age(18),excluding EEA nationals, 2003(19): United Kingdom -- Number of persons
		
			 Geographical region Children (under 16) 16–24 25–34 35–44 45–59 60+ Adults (16 and over) 
		
		
			 All nationalities
			 Male 13,270 8,000 20,915 12,245 5,240 1,790 48,195 
			 Female 12,630 14,760 26,550 12,695 5,620 3,105 62,730 
			 Total 25,900 22,765 47,470 24,940 10,860 4,895 110,925 
			 
			 Europe (excluding EEA)
			 Male 1,230 925 2,195 1,070 410 75 4,680 
			 Female 1,165 1,835 4,075 1,370 595 180 8,055 
			 Total 2,395 2,765 6,265 2,440 1,010 260 12,735 
			 
			 Americas
			 Male 1,630 680 2,150 1,645 805 215 5,490 
			 Female 1,655 1,080 3,260 2,085 1,005 295 7,725 
			 Total 3,280 1,760 5,410 3,730 1,810 510 13,215 
			 
			 Africa
			 Male 5,635 2,475 5,825 4,800 2,050 540 15,690 
			 Female 5,330 3,140 6,570 4,350 1,990 915 16,965 
			 Total 10,965 5,615 12,400 9,150 4,040 1,455 32,655 
			 
			 Asia
			 Indian sub-continent
			 Male 2,035 2,670 5,510 2,050 860 565 11,660 
			 Female 1,885 6,515 4,205 1,290 695 1,035 13,740 
			 Total 3,920 9,185 9,710 3,340 1,560 1,600 25,400 
			 
			 Middle East
			 Male 525 320 665 510 235 115 1,845 
			 Female 480 445 660 420 190 215 1,930 
			 Total 1,005 765 1,325 930 425 330 3,775 
			 
			 Remainder of Asia
			 Male 1,795 735 2,295 1,510 605 220 5,370 
			 Female 1,750 1,430 5,190 2,585 870 390 10,470 
			 Total 3,550 2,165 7,485 4,095 1,475 610 15,840 
			 
			 Asia
			 Male 4,355 3,725 8,470 4,070 1,705 905 18,875 
			 Female 4,110 8,395 10,055 4,295 1,755 1,640 26,135 
			 Total 8,470 12,120 18,520 8,365 3,460 2,545 45,010 
			 
			 Oceania
			 Male 305 90 2,135 600 240 35 3,100 
			 Female 285 200 2,430 505 215 35 3,380 
			 Total 590 290 4,560 1,105 455 70 6,480 
			 
			 British Overseas citizens and other countries  
			 Male 115 105 145 55 30 20 360 
			 Female 85 110 165 95 55 40 470 
			 Total 200 220 310 150 90 60 830 
		
	
	(18)Excludes 2,865 persons given settlement on arrival, for which an age analysis is not available, and a further 1,795 persons whose ages are not available.
	(19)Provisional.
	Note:
	Data rounded to the nearest 5.

Immigration/Asylum

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of central Government grants to each local authority to supportasylum seekers was in each year since 1996–97.

Des Browne: The information is not available in the precise format requested. Information for the 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 is not available. Available information for the years 1999–2000 to 2004–05 is in the following table.
	
		Local authority grant rates—per week of support -- £
		
			   Category/year (rates shown represent maximum grant available) 
			   1999–20001, 5 1999–20002, 3, 5 2000–01 2001–02(23) 
		
		
			 Adults London boroughs(27) 140.00 140.00 140.00 140.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 140.00 140.00 140.00 140.00 
			   
			 Families London boroughs(27) 240.00 240.00 350.00 350.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 240.00 240.00 240.00 240.00 
			   
			 Large families London boroughs(27) 240.00 240.00 350.00 380.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 240.00 240.00 240.00 270.00 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (U16) Up to 100 claimants n/a n/a 400.00 400.00 
			  More than 100 claimants n/a n/a 575.00 575.00 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (016) Up to 100 claimants n/a n/a 200.00 200.00 
			  More than 100 claimants n/a n/a 300.00 300.00 
		
	
	
		£
		
			   Category/year (rates shown represent maximum grant available) 
			   2002–034, 7 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Adults London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Families London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Large families London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (U16) Up to 100 claimants 420.00 (26)— 670.00 686.75 
			  More than 100 claimants 575.00 (26)— 670.00 686.75 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (016) Up to 100 claimants 220.00 (26)— 300.00 307.50 
			  More than 100 claimants 300.00 (26)— 300.00 307.50 
		
	
	(20)Prior to Royal Assent of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999—up to 5 December 1999.
	2Post Royal Assent of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999—6 December 1999 onwards.
	(21)Post Royal Assent, overspends in the adults or families category were allowed to be offset in the other, hence actual rates paid may be higher in one or other of these categories from this point on.
	(22)For the period 1 April 2001 to 7 November 2002 UASC aged 16 and 17 who had applied for asylum prior to their 16thbirthday and were still being cared for under Sect 20 or Sect 23 of the Children Act 1989 could be claimed.
	5In 1999–2000 grants for UASC were paid by DoH and not MASS.
	6From 2002–03 onwards individual rates were set for each local authority for adults and families, based upon actual spend in 2001–02 and increased for inflation.
	(23)Rates shown for UASC in 2002–03 were paid for the period up to Royal Assent of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act on 7 November 2002, subsequent to this individual rates were set for each authority based unit costs in 2001–02 adjusted for inflation.
	(24)Rates for London boroughs were also paid to several adjacent local authorities with similar costs.

Immigration/Asylum

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been removed from the UK less than three months after all appeals have been exhausted in the last year for which figures are available.

Des Browne: Information is not currently available for all case types.
	Management information indicates that between January 2004 and December 2004 1,500 failed asylum seekers were removed within three months of having exhausted all appeals.
	This information has not been quality assured and should be treated as provisional management information only.

Immigration/Asylum

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people resident in Stoke-on-Trent who are applying for asylum are (a) male, (b) female, (c) married and (d) single; and how many have children.

Des Browne: Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives.
	The table shows the numbers of people supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) resident in Stoke-on-Trent as at the end of September 2004. These data are analysed by gender and whether the person is a single applicant, an applicant with dependants or a dependant of an applicant. Details of age, marital status and number of children are not available.
	
		Table showing asylum seekers supported in (A): NASS accommodation1, 2, 3and (B): in receipt of subsistence only support from NASS1, 3, 4Stoke-on-Trent as at end Q3 2004
		
			  Male Female Total 
		
		
			 NASS accommodation  
			 Single applicants 100 395 495 
			 Applicants with dependants 55 25 80 
			 Dependants (29) 85 65 150 
			 Total 240 485 725 
			 
			 NASS subsistence only
			 Single applicants 5 25 30 
			 Applicants with dependants * — — 
			 Dependants(29) * — — 
			 Total 5 25 30 
		
	
	(25)Figures have been rounded to nearest 5 and are provisional, with * = 1 or 2.
	(26)Asylum seekers that have been allocated NASS accommodation and have been confirmed as having arrived in that accommodation.
	(27)Excludes cases where support has been ceased by the National Asylum Support Service.
	(28)Asylum seekers receiving subsistence only support from the National Asylum Support Service.
	(29)A dependant is defined as any person who accompanies the support applicant in the UK and will need to be supported.
	Analyses of these totals are based on internal management information and as such are not of sufficient quality to be published as National Statistics.
	Corresponding figures for those not in receipt of NASS support are not available. In addition some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
	Numbers of asylum seekers placed in MASS accommodation and numbers who are in receipt of subsistence only support from MASS, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 (October to December) will be available on 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigration/Asylum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum registration cards have been issued in each of the last six months; and how many in each month prohibited employment.

Des Browne: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The information requested is set out in the table:
	
		
			 2004 Employment prohibited ARCs produced Total ARCs produced 
		
		
			 July 4,840 5,300 
			 August 4,680 5,170 
			 September 5,000 5,550 
			 October 4,700 5,200 
			 November 4,490 4,990 
			 December 4,180 4,480 
			 Total for period 27,890 30,690 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	These figures have been obtained from the Asylum Registration Cards Database and are subject to change. They include cards issued to new asylum seekers and their dependants as well as replacements where, for instance, the original has been lost or damaged.

Immigration/Asylum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many holders of asylum registration cards with employment prohibited have left the UK (a) voluntarily and (b) through deportation in each of the last six months.

Des Browne: holding answer 31 January 2005
	I regret that the information requested is not available.

Immigration/Asylum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people to whom asylum registration cards have been issued are resident in the UK.

Des Browne: holding answer 31 January 2005
	Application Registration Cards (ARCs) are only issued to asylum seekers who are present in the UK. Details are not recorded of the numbers of ARC holders who have since left the UK.

IND Case

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when officials at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will resolve the immigration status of a constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall, reference number: L0102000/1.

Des Browne: I regret that from the information given it has not been possible for Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials to identify the case referred to. If my hon. Friend writes to me with full details I will ensure a full response is provided.

IT Projects

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his Department's IT projects in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) amount spent, (b) purpose, (c) cost of over-run and (d) time of over-run.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office does not hold central records detailing every IT project, amount spent, cost of over-run and time of over-run, since 1997. An exercise to obtain the aforementioned information will incur disproportionate costs.
	However, the Department is currently implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning system which will allow easier access to this type of information in the future.

Juvenile Offenders

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a national programme for dealing with juvenile offenders in custody who have been (a) subjected to and (b) convicted of sexual offences.

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board, together with the Prison Service, are developing proposals to establish a treatment service for young people convicted of sexual offences. It is expected that the service will involve a screening and assessment process followed by intensive interventions, and will be provided at selected sites within the juvenile estate.
	The Board and the Prison Service are also considering, in the context of a recent major review of safeguarding arrangements in the Prison Service juvenile estate, how the needs of young people who have been the victim of a sexual offence may best be met.

Juvenile Travel (Parental Consent)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether a 16 to 18-year-old domiciled in the UK requires written or verbal permission from a parent or guardian to leave the UK (a) under any circumstances, (b) when purchasing a one-way ticket abroad, (c) when travelling to EU destinations and (d) when travelling to non-EU destinations;
	(2)  if he will take steps to harmonise guidance protocols across the European Union regarding children aged 16 to 18-years-old attempting to leave the UK without the consent of their parents or legal guardians;
	(3)  what authority parents or legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age have to prevent or delay them from leaving the UK;
	(4)  how many children aged (a) 15 or under and (b) 16 to 18 years of age (i) attempted to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians and (ii) were detained in the course of attempting to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians in each of the last 10years;
	(5)  how many children who have been reported missing in each of the last 10 years are believed to have left the UK;
	(6)  what training and written guidance is given to (a) staff at ports and airports, (b) police at ports and airports and (c) police, regarding children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without the knowledge or consent of their parents or legal guardians;
	(7)  what guidance his Department provides to parents and legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without their knowledge or consent.

Des Browne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate no longer routinely operates an embarkation control and immigration officers have no powers to prevent a person from leaving the United Kingdom, and therefore the information requested is not collected.

Managed Migration Directorate

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many caseworkers of the Managed Migration Directorate were at work on (a) 6 and (b) 7 March.

Des Browne: The number of caseworkers within Managed Migration Directorate who were at work:
	(a) on Saturday, 6 March 2004 was 158; and
	(b) on Sunday, 7 March 2004 was 18.

Managed Migration Directorate

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the operating budget of the Managed Migration Unit of the Home Office is for 2004–05.

Des Browne: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The operating cost budget of the Managed Migration Directorate within the Home Office for 2004–05 is £61 million.

Mr. Richard Watson

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the results were of the investigations into how the written parliamentary questions tabled on 11 October by the hon. Member for Thurrock relating to the murder of Richard Watson were lost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will publish in the Official Report, the letter of 2 December from the Minister of State for Crime Reduction to the hon. Member for Thurrock, concerning Mr. Richard Watson.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 13 and 20 December 2004
	Ministers make every effort to answer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines and especially before Prorogation. However this is not always possible and sometimes, as in the case of the nine questions tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock referred to in the above question (204164), complex information has to be obtained from both within and outside the Department before it can be answered substantively. In the case in question it was not possible to provide substantive answers to the questions before Prorogation.
	For this reason I wrote to the hon. Member for Thurrock on 2 December 2004 providing him with the information he had requested and arranged for a copy of the letter to be placed in the House Library. The Official Report cannot publish the written correspondence between myself and the hon. Member, however, the main text of the letter is as follows:
	On the issues you raised concerning the murder of Richard Watson the Chief Constable of Sussex Police advise me as follows:
	(a) The purpose of the meeting of 24 January 2003 with Mrs. Henderson was to ensure that she and her daughter were updated with the progress of the re-investigation. Following that meeting, in March 2003, a suspect was arrested and interviewed, which subsequently led to papers being passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for advice in May 2003.
	 (b) The re-investigation, which was headed first by DCI Wood and then, from April 2002, by DCI Dennis has now been completed. On the 26 May 2003, a file of evidence was forwarded to the CPS concerning one specific suspect who found that there was no basis for a prosecution in relation to the case papers provided to them. The case is not, however, closed and any new lines of inquiry that emerge will be fully investigated.
	 (c) The Chief Constable did not record the complaint of Mrs. Henderson for two reasons. Firstly, Mrs. Henderson's complaint referred to complaints about the original investigation, which had already been dealt with. Secondly, the remaining points raised about the re-investigation did not amount to complaints about the conduct of individual police officers, but related to operational matters all of which were subsequently addressed by the restructuring of the force approach to critical incidents. The Secretary of State has no powers to review a Chief Constable's decision not to record a complaint under Section 69(1) of the Police Act 1996.
	 (d) A full and unqualified apology was provided to Mrs. Henderson in a letter dated 31 October 2003. Press releases were available from 9 December 2002 to 8 October 2004. All of these press releases contained repeated apologies, personally made, to Mrs. Henderson and her family.
	Following the Inquest, on the 8 October 2004, a public apology was posted on the Sussex Police public website acknowledging its failings in the case and accepting that there were serious failings in the original investigation. The apology also included an acknowledgement that Mrs. Linda Watson and her daughter, Ms Amanda London-Williams, were innocent of all charges in relation to Richard Watson's murder.
	This latest statement is available to anyone visiting the site and has been supplied to the Daily Express and Sunday Express following specific requests.
	(e) The report of the Police Complaints Authority's supervised investigation by the Metropolitan Police into Sussex Police's investigation of the murder of Richard Watson belongs to Sussex Police. It has not been published and is protected by public interest immunity and will continue to remain so unless directed otherwise by the Courts. The Secretary of State is therefore not in a position to place a copy in the Library.
	(f) The original investigating officer overseeing the inquiry retired from Sussex Police on 30 May 1998 on completion of over 30 years' service. He would have faced disciplinary charges for his conduct of the investigation had he not already retired from the Police Service. There is no mechanism whereby retired officers can face disciplinary proceedings.
	 (g) The Chief Constable formally referred a file of papers relating to the murder of Richard Watson to the Crown Prosecution Service on 26 May 2003.
	(h) Sussex Police received the Metropolitan Police's report into the investigation on 28 April 2000."

Peter Sutcliffe

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances he would permit a return visit by Peter Sutcliffe to Arnside in Cumbria.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 27 January 2005
	Any application would be considered on its individual merits. There is currently no application for any leave.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) crime and incident and (b) custody unit staff employed by (i) Essex police and (ii) Southend police have been dismissed in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many (a) forensic and scientific staff and (b) analysis and intelligence staff employed by (i) Essex police and (ii) Southend police have been dismissed in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many (a) police drivers and (b) finance staff have been dismissed by (i) Essex police and (ii) Southend police in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many traffic wardens employed on behalf of (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police have been dismissed in each year since 1997;
	(5)  how many IT communications and audio staff have been dismissed by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997;
	(6)  how many control room staff have been dismissed by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997;
	(7)  how many administrative and clerical staff were dismissed by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997;
	(8)  how many personnel and human resources staff have been employed by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Essex 
			 Forensic and Scientific Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Analysis and Intelligence Staff 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Police Drivers 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Finance Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Traffic Wardens 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 IT Communications and Audio Staff 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Control Room Staff 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Crime and Incident Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Custody Unit Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Southend 
			 Forensic and Scientific Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Analysis and Intelligence Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Police Drivers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Finance Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Traffic Wardens 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 IT Communications and Audio Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Control Room Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Crime and Incident Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Custody Unit Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Police

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in the numbers of full-time police officers in (a) Lancashire Constabulary and (b) Burnley has been since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Police numbers for the Lancashire Constabulary increased by 9.8 per cent. (+320) to 3,567 between March 2002 and data for March 2003 onwards can be found on the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate pages of the Home Office website. The Burnley parliamentary constituency is part of the Pennine (F) Division.
	On 31 March 2004 the Pennine Division had 574 officers, an increase of 9.1 per cent. (+48) since March 2002. For the period March 2002 to March 2004 Lancashire Constabulary strength increased by 7.4 per cent. (+246). The deployment of officers within the Pennine (F) Division is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Police

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) part-time, including reduced hour and short-time working and (b) full-time police officers there were in each constabulary in each of the past seven years.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following table. Prior to 1 April 2002 a headcount of police officers was not collected centrally. Therefore the numbers of full-time police officers can only be calculated for the past two years.
	
		
			 Part-time police officers 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 39 57 72 73 93 101 123 
			 Bedfordshire 17 20 24 31 31 36 44 
			 Cambridgeshire 24 26 0 24 25 35 41 
			 Cheshire 29 38 41 38 42 49 54 
			 Cleveland 37 40 40 45 50 54 49 
			 Cumbria 17 21 29 38 53 56 64 
			 Derbyshire 17 24 36 41 50 54 64 
			 Devon and Cornwall 59 69 80 80 106 124 155 
			 Dorset 23 31 38 41 51 61 66 
			 Durham 16 23 0 24 27 34 44 
			 Dyfed-Powys 9 15 19 18 27 31 38 
			 Essex 66 68 68 91 93 111 129 
			 Gloucestershire 18 30 35 43 46 58 65 
			 Greater Manchester 69 78 86 115 137 165 176 
			 Gwent 17 22 34 38 41 43 42 
			 Hampshire 34 42 60 71 81 99 121 
			 Hertfordshire 39 44 44 55 57 77 86 
			 Humberside 44 44 41 48 54 62 70 
			 Kent 54 73 87 93 14 119 144 
			 Lancashire 39 59 75 81 90 100 104 
			 Leicestershire 32 36 38 40 47 50 59 
			 Lincolnshire 9 11 2 19 18 23 24 
			 London, City of 15 15 17 19 21 21 16 
			 Merseyside 34 28 56 73 85 104 110 
			 Metropolitan police 489 496 578 649 757 882 933 
			 Norfolk 28 34 44 52 60 65 65 
			 Northamptonshire 28 25 30 37 38 52 54 
			 Northumbria 48 59 60 77 95 97 109 
			 North Wales 13 0 17 21 24 25 50 
			 North Yorkshire 19 22 25 27 37 39 51 
			 Nottinghamshire 52 59 65 69 73 76 93 
			 South Wales 22 26 30 39 47 52 58 
			 South Yorkshire 38 43 51 62 63 73 84 
			 Staffordshire 31 46 60 68 85 103 114 
			 Suffolk 16 18 24 34 48 57 58 
			 Surrey 41 45 47 63 56 65 69 
			 Sussex 66 79 70 101 120 151 166 
			 Thames Valley 81 92 98 92 103 118 122 
			 Warwickshire 16 17 20 26 23 25 29 
			 West Mercia 24 29 35 56 63 56 57 
			 West Midlands 135 153 195 200 193 288 331 
			 West Yorkshire 85 94 113 131 151 172 179 
			 Wiltshire 15 24 27 34 49 58 64 
			 Total 2,004 2,275 2,611 3,077 3,424 4,121 4,574 
		
	
	
		
			 Full-time police officers 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 3,097 3,338 
			 Bedfordshire 1,096 1,171 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,368 1,385 
			 Cheshire 2,103 2,166 
			 Cleveland 1,552 1,662 
			 Cumbria 1,118 1,200 
			 Derbyshire 1,973 2,038 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,137 3,211 
			 Dorset 1,383 1,411 
			 Durham 1,640 1,670 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,129 1,149 
			 Essex 2,934 3,036 
			 Gloucestershire 1,200 1,256 
			 Greater Manchester 7,266 7,980 
			 Gwent 1,324 1,347 
			 Hampshire 3,646 3,704 
			 Hertfordshire 1,924 2,059 
			 Humberside 2,084 2,186 
			 Kent 3,412 3,530 
			 Lancashire 3,310 3,513 
			 Leicestershire 2,114 2,261 
			 Lincolnshire 1,220 1,223 
			 London, City of 797 845 
			 Merseyside 4,037 4,053 
			 Metropolitan police 27,687 29,452 
			 Norfolk 1,469 1,485 
			 Northamptonshire 1,185 1,228 
			 Northumbria 3,949 3,984 
			 North Wales 1,543 1,593 
			 North Yorkshire 1,425 1,497 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,426 2,444 
			 South Wales 3,236 3,275 
			 South Yorkshire 3,143 3,250 
			 Staffordshire 2,153 2,207 
			 Suffolk 1,217 1,273 
			 Surrey 1,893 1,898 
			 Sussex 2,935 2,979 
			 Thames Valley 3,824 4,027 
			 Warwickshire 984 992 
			 West Mercia 2,286 2,328 
			 West Midlands 7,646 7,794 
			 West Yorkshire 4,921 5,191 
			 Wiltshire 1,128 1,189 
			 Total 129,914 135,480

Police Command Units

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police Basic Command Units (BCUs) there were in each of the last seven years; and how many BCUs he estimates there will be in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) 2006–07.

Hazel Blears: Force areas are divided into Basic Command Units (BCUs). These are typically commanded by police officers of superintendent or chief superintendent rank with responsibility for the delivery of policing, the management of officers and other police staff and a number of police stations in their area. The determination of areas of command and the deployment of resources within a force are matters for the Chief Constable rather than for Ministers.
	There are currently 255 BCUs in England and Wales. Based on information currently available from forces, the number of BCUs is expected to fall to around 245 in 2005–06. No estimates for BCU numbers after 2005–06 can be made at this stage.
	BCU numbers were/are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1995–96 408 
			 1996–97 382 
			 1997–98 389 
			 1998–99 369 
			 1999–2000 319 
			 2000–01 318 
			 2001–02 280 
			 2002–03 278 
			 2003–04 272 
			 2004–05 255 
		
	
	The number of BCUs has been reduced as police forces have rationalised boundaries to follow those of CDRPs more closely. This has facilitated closer co-operation between the police and their partners.

Policing (Dagenham)

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average spending per capita on policing in the Dagenham constituency has been in each year since 1996–97.

Hazel Blears: The Commissioner of Police the Metropolis informs me that the spending per capita in the Barking and Dagenham Borough Operational Command unit (BOCU) is as follows:
	
		Spending per capita(34)in Barking and Dagenham BOCU
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000(30) 72 
			 2000–01 65 
			 2001–02 67 
			 2002–03(31) 93 
			 2003–04(32) 115 
			 2004–05(33) 128 
		
	
	(30)No earlier information is available due to change of force's financial system.
	(31)Includes partnership funding for the first time.
	(32)Includes partnership funding, building maintenance and interpreters costs. Included for the first time is the devolved responsibility for Forensic Medical Examiners costs; and the introduction of the Community Support Officers.
	(33)Includes partnership funding. Included for the first time is the devolved responsibility for forensics costs; and phase 1 of the Safer Neighbourhoods Initiative.
	(34)2001 Census population estimate of the London borough of Barking and Dagenham.
	This reflects direct operational costs. In addition, BOCUs are able to call upon all-London units (such as dog sections, Territorial Support Group, Traffic and Air Support Units) when operational priorities dictate.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prisoners have been transferred to Standford Hill Open Prison from (a) Elmley Prison and (b) Swaleside Prison in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many prisoners have been transferred to Standford Hill Open Prison from (a) Elmley Prison and (b) Swaleside Prison in each year between 1997 and 2004.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 27 January 2005
	Figures for the number of prisoners transferred to Standford Hill prison are available only from November 1999 onwards for Elmley prison and from 2003 for Swaleside prison. These are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (to date) 
		
		
			 Elmley 64 136 126 82 142 5 
			 Swaleside (35)— (35)— (35)— 28 9 0 
			 Total (35)— (35)— (35)— 110 151 5 
		
	
	(35)Figures not recorded

Prisons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates there are at HMP Holloway; what the average period of stay was of an inmate at that prison at the last date for which figures are available; and what the average number of remand prisoners in the institution was in the last period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The population of HMP Holloway was 377 on 30 November 2004, of which 185 were remand prisoners. The average remand population at the prison for the year December 2003 to November 2004 was 273. The average time served (including remand time) in HMP Holloway for a sample of sentenced prisoners discharged in 2003 was 47 days per episode.
	The information is as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, and data on average time served are provisional.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners at (a) Elmley prison and (b) Swaleside prison have been reclassified from Category C to Category D in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2005, PQ 209863.

Probation Service

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will ensure that future organisational change in the probation service does not have a negative impact on (a) staff morale and (b) industrial relations.

Paul Goggins: We recognise the importance of positive engagement by staff, and the unions that represent them, in the development of National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	We have established a Joint Consultative Council (JCC) to provide a forum for communication, discussion, consultation and early information sharing between NOMS, all recognised trade unions and the Probation Boards Association (PBA). The JCC met on 12 November and 17 December.
	We will also continue to invest in the probation service and, in particular to expand the workforce. In 1997 the service employed 13,968 staff. This had risen to 19,119 by 2004 and we plan to have around 21,000 in employment by April 2006.
	The JCC is additional to existing methods of communication, consultation and negotiation in the National Probation Service (NPS).
	The principal industrial relations forum for the NPS is the National Negotiating Council (NCC) which is comprised of the recognised trades unions in the NPS, the PBA and the National Probation Directorate. In addition there are forums representing senior managers and chief officers. The NNC will be critical to the successful implementation of any changes and the Home Office and NPD are committed which is designed to preserve and enhance staff morale in the service and promote a positive climate of industrial relations.
	The NOMS Change Programme includes a Human Resources Sub-Programme, specifically intended to deliver policies, strategies and frameworks which will provide members of staff with the culture, values, skills and motivation required for the new organisation and new ways of working.

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the performance against targets of the national probation service during the period of April to September 2004 was; and what assessment he has made of the implications of that performance for the (a) quality of service and (b) cost effectiveness provided by the service.

Paul Goggins: The performance of the national probation service (NPS) in meeting its targets for April to September 2004 is set out in the table alongside its performance for 2003–04.
	
		
			  2003–04 April to September 2004–05 Percentage 
			 Performance measure Target Achieved Target Achieved point change 
		
		
			 Enforcement within 10 days  
			 Percentage 90 77 90 85 +8 
			   
			 Compliance  
			 Percentage 70 63 70 65 +2 
			   
			 Compliance including orders allowed to continue  
			 Percentage — — 70 79 — 
			   
			 Offending Behaviour Programme Completions  
			 Number 15,000 13,136 7,500 6,827  
			 Percentage — 88 — 91 +3 
			   
			 ECP completions  
			 Number — — 11,850 17,518 — 
			 Percentage — — — 148 — 
			   
			 DTTO starts  
			 Number 9,000 8,519 6,078 4,847  
			 Percentage — 95 — 180 (36)-15 
			   
			 Basic Skills Starts  
			 Number 16,000 14,971 11,520 13,353 — 
			 Percentage — 94 — 116 +22 
			   
			 Basic Skills Awards  
			 Number 4,000 2,815 2,960 3,302  
			 Percentage — 70 — 112 +42 
			   
			 Sickness  
			 Number days 9 12.3 9 11.5 -0.8 
			   
			 Victims contacted  
			 Percentage 85 91 85 (37)93 +2 
			   
			 Timeliness of Pre-Sentence Reports  
			 Percentage 90 65 90 78 +7 
		
	
	(36)Although DTTO starts were down, this was against a higher target. There were in fact 864 more DTTO starts in April-September 2004 than in the equivalent period in 2003.
	(37)April to June 2004.
	The comparison illustrates the real improvement that the NPS has achieved on most of its main service delivery targets, including those, such as basic skills, that were increased for 2004–05.
	The budget for probation areas has increased by two per cent. in real terms in 2004–05. Much of this increase relates to funding capacity-building for the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and so is not directly related to the increase in performance. It is fair to say, therefore, that the improved performance has increased the cost-effectiveness of the NPS, so improving the value for money of the service delivered to the community.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii)2003–04; and what the estimated cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D)2007–08.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office spend on advertising and publicity since 1996–97 is as follows:
	1996–97
	£5.23 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £8.328 million. Campaigns included car crime, recruitment of special constables, fire safety and electoral registration.
	1997–98
	£1.4 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £3.372 million. Campaigns included recruitment of special constables, fire safety, absent voting and electoral registration.
	1998–99
	£1.8 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £4.194 million. Campaigns included smoke alarms, recruitment of special constables, crime partnerships and electoral registration.
	1999–2000
	£5.65 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £10.08 million. Campaigns included chip pan safety, recruitment of special constables, European parliamentary elections and electoral registration.
	2000–01
	£28.63 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £35.637 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime and the recruitment of police officers.
	2001–02
	£14.4 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £25.1 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime, internet child protection, drug misuse, recruitment of police officers and special constables and postal voting.
	2002–03
	£9.9 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £18.3 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, firearms amnesty and the recruitment of police officers.
	2003–04
	£12.487 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £22.083 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, recruitment of police officers and domestic violence.
	Figures for 2004–05 will be available shortly after the end of the financial year. We do not have estimated advertising and publicity costs for future years—this will be subject to ministerial approval on an annual basis.

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what percentage of the expenditure of each agency sponsored by his Department went on research and development in each year between 2001–02 and 2003–04.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office currently sponsors the following agencies:
	Criminal Records Bureau
	Probation Service
	Prison Service
	United Kingdom Passport Service.
	The Home Office also provides grant funding for a further 15 external organisations which hold the status of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). These organisations have been included in the response to the question raised as they are organisations that are sponsored by the Home Office.
	The Home Office agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) use their own accounting system and they have provided the information relating to research and development costs for their own organisation.
	The information relating to the amount and percentage of research and development costs for agencies sponsored by the Home Office is shown in the table.
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
			 Department R and D spend Percentage of sponsored bodies total expenditure R and D spend Percentage of sponsored bodies total expenditure R and D spend Percentage of sponsored bodies total expenditure 
		
		
			 Criminal Records Bureau 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Probation Service 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Prison Service 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 United Kingdom Passport Service 0 0 2,840,000 2.4 4,248,000 3 
			 Central Police Development and Training  Authority (Centrex) n/a n/a 2,526,000 3.4 5,106,000 5.5 
			 Commission for Racial Equality 265,625 2.2 317,235 2.5 50,864 0.6 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal Panel 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Community Development Foundation 40,587 0.2 47,822 0.3 51,285 1 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 
			 National Criminal Intelligence Service 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 National Crime Squad 0 0 242,000.00 0.16 99,000 0.06 
			 Office for the Immigration Services Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Parole Board 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Police Complaints Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Police Information Technology Organisation 0 0 0 0 843,150 1.00 
			 Security Industry Authority n/a n/a n/a n/a 6,000,000.00 46 
			 Youth Justice Board 1,251,846 0.4 1,970,907 0.6 1,516,726 0.4

Rural Policing

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will encourage (a) police authorities and (b) police forces to give higher priority to rural policing when allocating resources.

Hazel Blears: It is a matter for each chief constable and police authority to decide how best to deploy the available resources across the force area, taking into account operational priorities and objectives.
	We established the rural policing fund in 2000–01 in recognition of the additional costs incurred in delivering effective policing to the most sparsely populated areas in England and Wales. The fund remains a discrete £30 million pot each year, above main formula grant arrangements, to be spent at local discretion to improve policing in rural areas.

Sex Abuse (Historical Cases)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of individuals wrongly convicted of historical sex abuse have been awarded compensation in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Records of cases in which compensation has been paid for wrongful conviction, under either the statutory or ex gratia schemes, are not kept in such a way that would enable the information required to be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Sex Abuse (Historical Cases)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the findings of the joint Metropolitan Police Service and the Institute of Psychiatry research project to assess the veracity of historical allegations of childhood sexual abuse made by adults.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office had not been apprised of this research. Detective Chief Inspector Parker of the Metropolitan Police Service informs that he is conducting some research in conjunction with the Institute of Psychiatry as part of a doctorate but has yet to publish it. I also understand that he gave evidence to the Home Affairs Committee in 2002 about the aims of his research, but it has yet reach conclusions.

Sikh Community

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will revise the statutory code of practice to ensure that all public bodies separately recognise and monitor Sikhs for the purposes of the Race Relations Act 2000.

Fiona Mactaggart: I do not intend to revise the current Statutory Code of Practice on the Duty to Promote Race Equality. In the Statutory Code public authorities are encouraged to use the same ethnic classification system as the one used in the 2001 census. This approach ensures consistency, allowing comparisons to be made over time and across different areas. However, the Statutory Code provides public authorities the flexibility to adapt the categories to fit local circumstances, provided these are the same as, or similar to, those used in the 2001 census.

Sikh Community

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Indian High Commission concerning India's opposition to the separate recognition and monitoring of British Sikhs by public bodies in the UK.

Fiona Mactaggart: To date I have not received any representations from the Indian High Commission expressing their opposition to the separate recognition and monitoring of British Sikhs by public bodies in the UK.

Sikh Community

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plan to undertake a comprehensive review of the proscription of the International Sikh Youth Federation.

Fiona Mactaggart: As a matter of policy, the Government does not comment on whether a particular organisation is being considered for proscription or de-proscription under Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Such decisions are only taken after the most careful consideration and on the basis of the best possible security advice.

Sikh Community

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet representatives from the (a) Sikh Federation (UK), (b) National Council of Gurdwaras, (c) Young Sikhs and (d) Sikh Secretariat to discuss matters of concern to the Sikh community.

Fiona Mactaggart: I met with the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras on 14 January 2005.
	I have also met representatives of the Network of Sikh Organisations and the British Sikh Consultation Forum.
	I agree that it is important that the Government engages with a wide range of organisations and views within the community, and have therefore asked officials in the Cohesion and Faiths Unit in the Home Office to undertake a series of meetings with Sikh Organisations. I will be keeping in close touch with my officials about Sikh issues and I have already signified my willingness to consider hosting a round-table meeting with a broad range of Sikh groups in due course.

Statement Validity Analysis

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has conducted into statement validity analysis; and what the findings were.

Paul Goggins: There has been no Home Office research into statement validity analysis.

Sulaiman Family

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a final decision in the case of the Sulaiman family (Home Office reference J1080623, J1080623/2, J1080623/3); and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Further inquiries need to be made before a decision can be reached in this case. Home Office officials have sent a letter to the Mrs Ibrahim's representatives requesting the relevant information.
	Home Office officials are in frequent contact with the Sulaiman family's constituency MP, my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Syd Rapson) concerning the details of this case.

Work Permit Scheme

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responsibilities the Work Permit Scheme places on an employer who makes redundant an employee employed under that scheme.

Des Browne: Work permit holders have the same employment rights under UK law as resident workers. Employers are also asked to inform the Home Office if a work permit holder's employment ceases prematurely.

Youth Justice

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of a six-month custodial sentence in a secure unit for a 14-year-old.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales has responsibility for commissioning and purchasing places in the secure estate. Its most recent calculation of the average cost (regardless of age) of a six month custodial sentence in a local authority secure children's home is £92,625.

Youth Justice

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of a youth offending team's involvement with a juvenile was in the last year for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The average cost in 2003–04 was just over £1,300 per disposal. This is based on YOTs' total expenditure of £243 million divided by the 185,000 disposals given to offenders aged 10–17.

HEALTH

Alcohol-related Disease

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the incidence of alcohol-related health problems in people over 60.

Melanie Johnson: Information on hospital admission, where the primary diagnosis or cause code shows the admission was alcohol-related is shown in the table. Other data on incidence of alcohol-related health problems is not available specifically for the age range over 60".
	
		Counts of finished in-year admissions where there was a primary diagnosis code or cause code for selected alcohol related diseases. Age at admissions 61 years plus. National health service hospitals, England 2003–04
		
			 Primary diagnosis  Admissions 
		
		
			 F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol 3,267 
			  F10.0—Acute intoxication 842 
			  F10.1—Harmful use 399 
			  F10.2—Dependence syndrome 908 
			  F10.3—Withdrawal state 737 
			  F10.4—Withdrawal state with delirium 108 
			  F10.5—Psychotic disorder 32 
			  F10.6—Amnesic syndrome 60 
			  F10.7—Residual and late-onset psychotic disorder 121 
			  F10.8—Other mental and behavioural disorders 8 
			  F10.9—Unspecified mental and behavioural disorders 52 
			 K70 Alcoholic liver disease 2,588 
			 T51 Toxic effect of alcohol 50 
			 Cause code  
			 X45 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol 32 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the datayear. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3.The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects.
	4.Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	HES, Department of Health.

Cancer

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will set a deadline for ending the current variation in the prescribing of anti-cancer drugs as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee in its Report on tackling cancer in England, HC 166;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the relative contribution of (a) delay in referral from general practitioners and (b) delay in carrying out diagnostic tests to late diagnosis identified by the Public Accounts Committee in its report on Tackling Cancer in England, HC166 of (i) cancer, (ii) brain cancer, (iii)lung cancer, (iv) breast cancer, (v) prostate cancer, (vi) childhood leukaemia and (vii) cancer of the gastro-intestinal tract.

Melanie Johnson: We are considering the recommendations in the Public Accounts Committee report and will respond in due course.

Cancer

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial resources have been made available for further (a) research into cancer and (b) increasing public awareness of the causes of cancer.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 19 January 2005
	In the NHS Cancer Plan, the Government stated that we would be investing an additional £20 million each year in the infrastructure for cancer research and an extra £4 million on prostate cancer research by 2003. These funding levels have been achieved.
	The national health service reported spending £104 million in 2001–02, 103 million in 2002–03, and £113 million in 2003–04 on research relating to cancer from research and development support funding allocations.
	The Department has funded a number of projects through the voluntary sector to raise awareness of cancer and has commissioned several pieces of research that will provide information on why patients delay seeking help from their general practitioner when symptoms become apparent.
	We plan to set up a pilot programme to raise public awareness of the symptoms and signs of cancer later this year. We will then evaluate whether people with symptoms present earlier for diagnosis and treatment as a result.

Cancer

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources he is making available to the National Cancer Research Institute and Clinical Studies Group on Alternative Therapies; and what assessment he has made of research in this area.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 18 January 2005
	The Department is contributing £130,000 a year toward the running costs of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) and currently plans to make available some £7.6 million over the period 2004 to 2010 in support of NCRI's work programme.
	The work of the NCRI complementary therapies clinical studies development group is supported by the co-ordinating centre for the national cancer research network. The network is funded by the Department.
	The Department issued a call for research proposals on The role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the Care of Patients with Cancer" in the summer of 2002. Three projects were commissioned as a result, details of which can be found on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/research/. Two of these projects are due to end later this year and the third in 2006.
	The Department supports research capacity in CAM through its £3.4 million complementary and alternative medicine personal award scheme. Two calls have successfully created a cohort of 18 CAM researchers at the doctoral and postdoctoral level who are working on a broad range of research issues.

Dentists

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to conclude negotiations on the new NHS dentists' contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I confirm that preparations are on course for the introduction of new contractual arrangements for national health service dentistry by April 2006. The British Dental Association has welcomed our decision that full implementation of the reforms will now take place to a longer timescale.

Dentists

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra dentists he plans to recruit; and how many of them he expects to (a) come from overseas recruitment and (b) be existing dentists returning to the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 January 2005
	We plan to increase the number of dentists by 1,000 whole time equivalent by October 2005. This is based on approximately two thirds from domestic and overseas recruitment approximately one third from increased activity from existing national health service dentists, using the £50 million access funds made available for 2004–05.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of the (a) doctors and (b) nurses employed by private diagnostic and treatment centres with contracts with the NHS were previously employed by the NHS.

John Hutton: holding answer 1 February 2005
	Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) adhere to a strict policy of additionality. ISTCs are not allowed to recruit any member of staff currently employed by, or employed during the previous six months, by the national health service. However, individuals are free to take employment in ISTCs provided that, they have not worked in the NHS during the preceding six-month period.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is required for audiologists qualified to fit digital hearing aids within the NHS.

Stephen Ladyman: Audiologists currently fitting digital hearing aids in the national health service are required to have completed one of the three courses accredited by the British Academy of Audiology:
	MSc (audiology) plus certificate of audiological competence
	British Association of Audiologists part I and II
	Diploma in hearing therapy.
	From 2005, the only entry qualification will be a BSc in audiology, which will provide sole access to the statutory register from 2008–09. From late 2005, all NHS audiologists will also be required to register with the Health Professions Council.

Dioxins and PCBs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has conducted into the levels of (a) dioxins and (b) PCBs found in (i) wild salmon, (ii) farmed salmon and (iii) flame retardants; and what figures were produced by that research.

Melanie Johnson: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that samples of salmon were included in a survey for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine fish carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1994–96 and a further study by the Food Standards Agency in 2003. The levels which were found are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Dioxins PCBs Total 
			 Survey Salmon type (number of samples) nanograms World Health Organisation Toxic Equivalent/kilogram fresh weight 
		
		
			 (1994–96) Farmed (3) 0.8–0.9 2.2–2.7 3.1–3.5 
			  Wild (1) 0.9 1.3 2.2 
			  Unspecified(38)(8) 0.6–1.0 1.6–3.0 2.2–4.0 
			 (2003) Farmed only (3) 0.5–0.8 1.5–2.0 2.0–2.8 
		
	
	(38)Five samples were labelled as retail salmon" and three just as salmon".
	We have not conducted a survey of flame-retardants, which, like dioxins and PCBs, are environmental contaminants, in salmon, although a survey is currently looking at dioxins, PCBs and brominated flame-retardants in farmed and wild fish and shellfish.

Drug Rehabilitation

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation (a) units and (b) beds have been established in Stoke-on-Trent in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: There are no drug rehabilitation units or beds in Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke-on-Trent drug action team commissions rehabilitation services from outside the area.
	Full details of drug rehabilitation units can be found on the National Treatment Agency's (NTA) residential services directory at www.nta.nhs.uk/residentialdirectory/index.html. The NTA has published this information from summer 2003. Data before this date are not available.

Foundation Hospitals (Borrowing Limits)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the independent regulator for foundation hospitals regarding an increase in borrowing limits by the hospitals.

John Hutton: Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs), is an independent corporate body established under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. It is Monitor's responsibility to authorise, monitor and regulate NHSFTs.
	Monitor is required to make a prudential borrowing code (the code) for determining the limit on the total amount of borrowing by NHSFTs and to consult the Secretary of State and prospective NHSFTs before doing so in accordance with section 12 of the Act.
	I am advised by the chairman of Monitor that the terms of a draft code were issued for consultation during the summer of 2004 and that Monitor's board considered the outcome at its formal meetings of 30 November 2004 and 26 January 2005. The chairman also consulted me on the terms of the draft code in December 2004 in my capacity as Minister with responsibility for NHSFT policy. I understand from the chairman that Monitor's board hopes to shortly finalise the code, following which it will be laid before Parliament at the earliest available opportunity in accordance with section 12(4) of the Act.

General Practitioners (Southend-on-Sea)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were on general practitioner lists in Southend-on-Sea in (a) 1990, (b) 2000 and (c) 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The number of patients registered with a general practitioner in the Southend-on-Sea area for 1990 is not held centrally. However, the numbers of patients registered with a GP for the years 2000 and 2003 (latest published data available) are shown in the table by primary care group (PCG) for the year 2000 and primary care trust (PCT) for the year 2003. However, the Department is not able to map boundary changes between PCGs and PCTs the PCG data are not directly comparable to the PCT data.
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(39) for Essex SHA and specified PCGs/PCTs: 1991, 2000 and 2003(40) -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			   1991 2000 2003(40) 
		
		
			 Essex strategic health  authority Q03 1,578,918 1,648,879 1,690,519 
			 Of which: 
			 Castlepoint PCG 4NK20 — 84,542 — 
			 Rochford PCG 4TQ56 — 84,565 — 
			 Southend-On-Sea PCG 4KH89 — 174,881 — 
			 Castlepoint and  Rochford PCT 5JP — — 173,946 
			 Southend-On-Sea PCT 5AK — — 177,522 
		
	
	(39)UPEs include General Medical Service unrestricted principals, Personal Medical Service (PMS) contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	(40)2003 Patient data has been revised from previously published figures.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 1991 and 30 September 2000 and 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Health Deprivation Indicators

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the utility of existing health deprivation indicators for assessing the relative health deprivation of rural areas.

John Hutton: The Department is committed to matching the allocation of funding with the relative need of all areas.
	A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each primary care trust's target share of available resources, which then inform allocations. Revenue funding is therefore allocated to primary care trusts on the basis of the relative needs of their populations.
	The Department has recently carried out a substantial review of the weighted capitation formula and the new formula introduced from 2003–04 gives much greater weight to the needs of deprived communities. In this way, the new formula provides a better measure of health need in all areas.

Health Service Staff (Stoke)

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) administrative staff are employed in the (i) Stoke-on-Trent North Primary Care Trust, (ii) Stoke-on-Trent South Primary Care Trust and (iii) North Staffordshire University Hospital Trust.

Stephen Ladyman: Table 1 shows the number of doctors, nurses and administrative staff at North Stoke Primary Care Trust (PCT), South Stoke PCT and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust.
	Table 2 shows the whole time equivalents (WTEs) at each organisation.
	
		Table 1: Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical and dental staff(41), general medical practitioners (GMPs)(42), qualified nurses including practice nurses and admin, and clerical staff(43)for selected organisations, as at 30 September 2003
		
			  All doctors of which:  
			   HCHS doctors(41) General medical practitioners(42) Qualified nurses (including practice nurses) HCHS admin. and clerical(43) GP practice admin. and clerical 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 71 1 70 406 229 n/a 
			 South Stoke PCT 70 0 70 364 212 n/a 
			 University Hospital of North  Staffordshire NHS Trust 575 575 0 2,148 1,270 n/a 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical and dental staff(41), general medical practitioners (GMPs)(42), qualified nurses including practice nurses and admin, and clerical staff(43) for selected organisations, as at 30 September 2003
		
			  All doctors of which: 
			   HCHS doctors(41) General medical practitioners(42) Qualified nurses (including practice nurses) HCHS admin. and clerical(43) GP practice admin. and clerical 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 64 1 63 266 187 176 
			 South Stoke PCT 66 0 66 256 170 146 
			 University Hospital of North  Staffordshire NHS Trust 570 570 0 1,858 1,126 0 
		
	
	(41)Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(42)All practitioners includes general medical service (GMS) unrestricted principals, personal medical service (PMS) contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, GP retainers, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career schemes and GP returners.
	(43)HCHS administrative staff are made up of senior managers and managers and admin and clerical staff.
	n/a—not available
	Note:
	GP WTE data has been estimated using the results from the GMP workload survey: full-time = 1.00 WTE, three quarter time = 0.69 WTE, Job share = 0.65 WTE, half time = 0.60 WTE.
	Sources:
	Department of Health GMS and PMS statistics.
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census.
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce statistics.

Healthy Living Initiatives

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of (a) healthy living centres and (b) healthy lifestyle workers to public health; and if he will make funding available to ensure their continuation.

Melanie Johnson: Healthy living centres (HLCs) support the work of statutory and voluntary organisations in reducing health inequalities and improving health in local communities. The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) and the Department have commissioned evaluations of the programme for the United Kingdom and England respectively. Interim findings are available on the BLF website at www.nof.org.uk. The final reports are due later this year.
	The Department allocates no funding centrally to HLCs. Primary care trusts and other statutory bodies are able to support local HLCs from their allocations as part of their local delivery plans for health improvement.
	The health improvement workforce in the national health service provides leadership and training in health improvement, supporting local communities and developing a health-promoting NHS. However, healthy lifestyle workers, as such, do not form a recognised group which can be evaluated formally.
	In the White Paper, Choosing Health", the valuable contribution of community-based workers is described, for example those in the voluntary sector. But such support is patchy and fragmented and therefore, from 2006, accredited NHS trainers will form part of the wider workforce geared towards prevention of ill health and as part of a comprehensive health improvement service. They will be providing support to people in disadvantaged areas and, progressively from 2007, across the country. The funding details will be published in due course.

Hearing Impairment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the value of Palantype speech to text reporting machines to hearing impaired people; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: None. However, the Department fully recognises the value to hearing-impaired people of speech-to-text technology.

Hepatitis C

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons no compensation is payable to the families of those who died before 29 August 2003 from Hepatitis C caused through NHS treatment with blood and blood products.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The principle behind the Hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme is to target available resources to help alleviate the suffering of people living with the virus. The payments are not compensation aid; the scheme's eligibility criteria reflect this.

Hepatitis C

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure is planned for the hepatitis C awareness campaign in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06.

Melanie Johnson: Estimated central expenditure on hepatitis C awareness-raising will be £780,000 in 2004–05 and £1,500,000 in 2005–06.

Local Authority Caring Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authorities have sought determination from him in relation to which local authority is responsible for people for whom more than one local authority had a caring responsibility in each year since 2001; and how many decisions on such determinations he has made in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The number of local authorities that sought determinations of ordinary residence" under section 32(3) of the National Assistance Act 1948, and the number of those determinations made in each year since 2001 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of applications made Number of determinations made 
		
		
			 2001 5 1 
			 2002 2 1 
			 2003 5 5 
			 2004 5 6

MRI (Alliance Medical)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the MRI scanning service provided by Alliance Medical; and what proposals he has for monitoring this service.

John Hutton: Representation has been received from the Society of Radiographers, the British Medical Association, hon. and right hon. Members and the public.
	Contract monitoring is carried out regularly with Alliance Medical and a benchmarking audit of image quality and reports is to be undertaken in 2005. In addition, Alliance Medical figures for November 2004 show that 96 per cent., of respondents rated the service above average or excellent.

MRSA

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children (a) contracted MRSA infections in hospitals and (b) died from MRSA infections in each of the last seven years.

Melanie Johnson: The Health Protection Agency's voluntary reporting system is the only national dataset providing information by age on cases of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) bloodstream infections. This is shown in the table. The system does not distinguish between infections acquired in hospital and those acquired elsewhere.
	
		Reports of MRSA blood isolates in Englandin children aged 0–14 years
		
			  Number of reports 
		
		
			 1997 28 
			 1998 40 
			 1999 60 
			 2000 68 
			 2001 66 
			 2002 71 
			 2003 81 
		
	
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency.
	Data on deaths from MRSA are not available, but a study by the Office for National Statistics, which reviewed death certificates from 1997–2002, revealed MRSA as a contributory factor or underlying cause for one child under 16 in each of the years 1997–2002.

MRSA

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that district nurses are informed that a patient discharged from hospital contracted MRSA while in hospital.

Melanie Johnson: Current professional guidance already recommends that general practitioners and other health service workers involved in the care of patients with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus" infection and colonisation should be informed when they are being discharged.

MRSA

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of MRSA infection in the UK is; and what information he collects on the rate in other countries.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 27 January 2005
	Mandatory surveillance of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections in England started in April 2001 and the information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Period April to March Number of MRSA bacteraemia reports MRSA rate per 1,000 bed-days 
		
		
			 2001–02 7,250 0.17 
			 2002–03 7,384 0.17 
			 2003–04 7,647 0.18 
		
	
	Surveillance of healthcare associated infection in other countries in the United Kingdom is a matter for the devolved administrations.
	We are not aware of any comparable international data for rates of MRSA bloodstream infections per 1,000 bed days.

MRSA

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA were reported at (a) Scunthorpe Hospital and (b) Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby in each year for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: Reported cases of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals national health service trust, which includes Scunthorpe Hospital and Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby are shown in the table. Separate figures are not available for each hospital in the trust.
	
		
			 Period Number of MRSA bacteraemia reports MRSA rate per 1,000 bed-days 
		
		
			 April 2001 to March 2002 36 0.13 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 34 0.12 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 28 0.09 
		
	
	Source:
	Reports under the mandatory MRSA bacteraemia surveillance system—Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust.

Multiple Sclerosis

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the funding allocated by the Department to multiple sclerosis specialist nurses for the financial year 2005–06 has been confirmed in writing to the primary care trusts concerned.

Stephen Ladyman: Funding for multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist nurses' posts already established under the MS risk-sharing scheme is included, on a recurrent basis, within primary care trust (PCT) revenue resource allocations. Eight PCTs were invited to apply for funding to support the establishment of additional posts, from 2005–06. These PCTs will be advised of the position of their bids on completion of an on-going review of all Departmental central budgets.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS choice pilots schemes have been subject to formal external evaluation; what plans he has to distribute the results of these evaluations to (a) primary care trusts and (b) strategic health authorities; and what plans he has to commission external projects to evaluate other NHS choice pilots.

John Hutton: The coronary heart disease choice pilot was formally evaluated by the Picker Institute in 2003. The largest choice pilot, the London patient choice project, has been formally evaluated by three separate organisations on different strands of its work. The final reports on the London pilot will be available shortly for circulation.
	The Department commissioned the research organisation Dr. Foster to undertake a research study on the implications of offering choice in three strategic health authorities—Trent, Dorset and Somerset, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The findings of this research have been shared widely and are available under patient choice research on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/policyandguidance/patientchoice/fs/en.
	Evaluation of the south cataract choice pilot will be starting shortly and the findings will be available later this year. In addition to these formal evaluations, the pilots have generated valuable learning for the implementation of choice which is being shared with primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. Other national health service choice pilots are evaluated locally.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage general practitioners to use choose and book; and what plans he has to monitor the use by general practitioners of choose and book.

John Hutton: The Department is running an intensive programme of stakeholder engagement and communications with general practitioners and other primary care stakeholders to explain how the choose and book service will work and its benefits for national health service patients and for general practices. This includes choose and book demonstrations, peer-to-peer meetings and workshops to encourage GP involvement.
	The Department is currently working with the NHS to develop a monitoring framework. This will enable primary care trusts (PCTs), strategic health authorities and the Department to monitor progress in driving forward the use of the choose and book system for GP referrals to consultant outpatient appointments.
	On 19 January 2005, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced a £95 million incentive scheme to recognise and reward the key role that PCTs will need to play in engaging primary care stakeholders and encouraging and supporting general practitioners to use choose and book.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to (a) monitor and (b) support the ability of primary care trusts to commission services as patient choice is introduced.

John Hutton: The Department issued a self-assessment and planning tool to local health communities in August 2004 to help establish local baselines and monitor subsequent progress in delivering patient choice and booking. This included a number of measures to assess preparedness for commissioning services from a range of providers to support patient choice. The tool also enables the national choose and book team to target support to local health communities on the basis of their relative preparedness.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the ability of patients to exercise choice in the provider of their elective surgery does not exclude hard-to-reach groups.

John Hutton: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to provide or arrange targeted support for patients to help them make their choice of hospital. This support needs to be appropriate to the needs of the PCT's local population. The range of services PCTs should consider includes direct support from general practitioners and practice staff and support from the patient advice and liaison service.
	Where PCTs identify particular needs for support, they may need to consider additional investment to support choice through use of voluntary sector organisations and/or specialist patient care advisers.
	To support this, the Department is developing guidelines for PCTs wishing to contract with voluntary and community sector organisations to provide advocacy and support to patients to help them make a choice of hospital. We are also working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the information and support needs of patients at risk of exclusion. The results of this work will allow us both to develop appropriate information at national level and to support the national health service in implementing choice equitably for their local populations.

NHS Cleaning Services

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cleaners are employed at (a) Scunthorpe Hospital and (b) Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby.

Melanie Johnson: The Department does not routinely collect this information.

Parkinson's

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which the needs of those who suffer from Parkinson's disease are being met; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which nursing specialists can contribute to the meeting of these needs.

Stephen Ladyman: The national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions, due to be published soon, will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease—including those with Parkinson's disease. As part of the work in producing this NSF, an external reference group drawn from service users and carers as well as professionals and voluntary groups has advised on the content.
	The Department has commissioned the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop guidelines for the diagnosis, management and treatment of Parkinson's disease in primary and secondary care. Due to be published in 2006, they will provide guidance on the care pathway for treating Parkinson's disease and getting the balance right between primary and secondary care interventions.
	The development of Parkinson's disease nurse specialists (PDNS) has been a key step forward in providing better care closer to home for those with this disease. The Parkinson's Disease Society has published a report, Changing Roles—The Impact of Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists", showing that PDNSs improve the quality of life for individual patients and their families and carers, without raising the cost of care.

Social Care (Pay)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the hourly average pay rate for workers in the social care sector.

Stephen Ladyman: It is for local government employers to determine the rates of pay for workers in the social care sector and to encourage their private and voluntary sector partners to offer comparable terms and conditions of service.

Supported Living

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the Government has allocated for the support element of supported living in the next three years;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place for co-ordination of the housing, support/care, day services elements of supported living; and who is responsible for that co-ordination.

Stephen Ladyman: Local authorities and health trusts are required to work together to develop and co-ordinate services to support people in all aspects of independent living in the community.
	These services are funded through the local authority personal social services (PSS) budget and the supporting people programme. Figures are shown in the following table.
	
		£ billion
		
			  Total resources for adult PSS Supporting people 
		
		
			 2005–06 11.526 1.72 
			 2006–07 11.842 1.70 
			 2007–08 12.313 1.70

Surgical Beds

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of medical patients occupying surgical beds was in each local health authority in each of the last seven years.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 January 2005
	Data on the weekly average number of medical outliers (medical patients occupying surgical beds) by strategic health authority (SHA) for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are shown in the table.
	Data for 2004–05 are not available as they are now a voluntary item and not comprehensively collected. Data are not available by SHA prior to 2002–03.
	
		
			 SHA Average number of medical outliers per week 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 243 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 89 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 140 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 193 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 51 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 184 
			 Essex 51 
			 Greater Manchester 254 
			 Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 111 
			 Kent and Medway 86 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 130 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 191 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 116 
			 North Central London 94 
			 North East London 97 
			 North West London 64 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 64 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 119 
			 Somerset and Dorset 116 
			 South East London 92 
			 South West London 51 
			 South West Peninsula 126 
			 South Yorkshire 133 
			 Surrey and Sussex 149 
			 Thames Valley 92 
			 Trent 121 
			 West Midlands South 113 
			 West Yorkshire 102 
			 England 3,370 
			   
			 2002–03  
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 286 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 89 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 155 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 215 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 53 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 233 
			 Essex 78 
			 Greater Manchester 284 
			 Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 127 
			 Kent and Medway 87 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 101 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 198 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 100 
			 North Central London 95 
			 North East London 106 
			 North West London 90 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 78 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 141 
			 Somerset and Dorset 120 
			 South East London 77 
			 South West London 43 
			 South West Peninsula 169 
			 South Yorkshire 98 
			 Surrey and Sussex 207 
			 Thames Valley 163 
			 Trent 145 
			 West Midlands South 136 
			 West Yorkshire 109 
			 England 3,782

Waiting Lists

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are waiting for treatment in each Government Office region in England.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect waiting times information by Government office region.

Ward Environment Budgets

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated for ward environment budgets; and how that funding has been spent.

Melanie Johnson: Between 2001–02 and 2003–04, about £83 million was allocated to the ward environment budget initiative announced in April 2000. To reduce bureaucracy, information is no longer collected centrally on the allocation of these budgets, which are matters to be determined locally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy is towards age discrimination.

Ian Pearson: The Northern Ireland Office aims to ensure that its staff are treated fairly and equally by promoting equal opportunities policies whereby no employee or job applicant is unfairly discriminated against either directly or indirectly on a number of grounds, including age. All staff are provided with a copy of this policy.
	In compliance with its statutory duty under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Department has due regard to the promotion of equality of opportunity between persons in nine specified categories, which include persons of different ages. Both internal and outward focused policies and practices are screened to ensure they do not have an adverse impact on any of the nine categories, including those of different ages.

Grammar Schools

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils are enrolled for grammar schools in Northern Ireland; and what the change in enrolment numbers has been since the baseline figures used by the Costello Inquiry.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replyI gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs.Robinson) on 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 304W.

Invest Northern Ireland

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been created in Northern Ireland as a result of foreign direct investment in the last three financial years; and what the average cost per job of Invest Northern Ireland grants and loans was in each year.

Barry Gardiner: As the employment associated with Inward Investment projects typically builds up over a three to four year period, it is not meaningful to measure job creation at an early stage. However, the following table shows the number of jobs promoted (expected to be created) as a result of foreign direct investment projects secured between 2001–02 and 2003–04 and the assistance offered to companies to promote these jobs (assistance during 2001–02 was provided by the Industrial Development Board and assistance during 2002–03 and 2003–04 was provided by Invest NI).
	
		
			 Financial year Expected jobs promoted Assistance offered for expected jobs promoted (£) Cost per expected job promoted (£) 
		
		
			 2001–02 2,526 27,478,799 10,878 
			 2002–03 1,033 7,171,044 6,942 
			 2003–04 2,053 14,481,420 7,054 
			 Grand total 5,612 49,131,263 8,755

Invest Northern Ireland

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in the last three financial years on acquiring equity in local companies.

Barry Gardiner: The amount that Invest NI has spent in the last three financial years acquiring equity in local companies is as follows:
	
		£
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 to date 
		
		
			 Locally owned companies 3,475,000 8,454,500 2,823,026 
			 Local companies owned by  GB parent 1,350,000 599,997 0 
			 Local companies owned by  overseas or ROI parent 0 2,177,179 0 
			 Total 4,825,000 11,232,276 2,823,026

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training is available to staff in the Juvenile Justice Centre in relation to the suitability of methods of restraint used.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that staff are trained in Physical Control in Care (PCC). PCC is the only physical restraint procedure used in the Juvenile Justice Centre and has been approved by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI).
	Initial staff training involves a five day PCC course delivered by qualified PCC instructors. Refresher training for all staff is delivered over a two day period at least twice a year.

National Assets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which assets (a) the Northern Ireland Office and (b) the Northern Ireland Departments plan to dispose of in each of the next three financial years.

Ian Pearson: The following table lists the assets which the Northern Ireland Office and the 11 Northern Ireland Departments currently plan to dispose over the next three financial years. In respect of the 11 NI Departments, further work will be undertaken on this issue in taking forward the NI Investment Strategy, and in the context of the Lyons Report Towards Better Management of Public Sector Assets".
	
		
			  Financial year 
			 Department 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 NIO Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			  Housing stock with a total value of £3.6 million 
			 
			 DARD 1 Dwelling Land at Tullywiggan (0.42 hectares) — 
			  Plot of land at Loughall (25 acres) Land at Stifehill (1.28 hectares) — 
			  Plot of land at Crossnacreevy — — 
			  Land at Walkways (18.2 hectares) — — 
			  Land at Tullyhogue (20.5 hectares) — — 
			  Land at Oldstone Road (0.42 hectares) — — 
			  Landrover — — 
			  3 Renault vans — — 
			  4 vehicles — — 
			  4 houses — — 
			  Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DCAL Lough Melvin Car Park, Gavros, Garrison, Co. Fermanagh — — 
			  Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DE Over 300 PCs—to be replaced   
			  2 motor vehicles over the next three years 
			 
			 DEL — — Training Centre at Felden, Newtownabbey, subject to alternative accommodation being found for training activities 
			 
			 DFP 17/19 Rainey Street, Magherafelt Armagh House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast — 
			  — 20 College Gardens, Belfast — 
			  — 25/27 Church Street, Antrim — 
			  — 178/180 Shankill Road, Belfast — 
			  Fixed assets in the areas of ICT, transport, and plant and machinery are subject to various rolling replacement policies and individual assessments 
			 
			 DETI None None None 
			 
			 DHSSPS Hillcroft Special Care School, Newtownabbey Portion of Central Services Agency Building at Adelaide Street, Belfast Ormeau Road Health Centre, Omagh 
			  Land at Donaghanie Road, Omagh (40 acres) Balance of site behind Drumreagh College, Omagh (18.6 acres) — 
			  4.75 acre site at Drumnakilly Road, Omagh Fields 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (70 acres) at Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick — 
			  Drumreagh College Site, Omagh (18.41 acres) 15.96 acres at Drumcoo, Enniskillen — 
			  15 acre site at Muckamore Abbey Hospital Watterson's Farm, Omagh (40 acres) — 
			  18 acre site at Scroggy Road, Limavady — — 
			  0.75 acre site at Scroggy Road, Limavady — — 
			  Field 27, 28 and 29 (20 acres) at Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick — — 
			  0.68 acre site at Omagh General Hospital, Omagh — — 
			 
			 DOE Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DRD Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 OFMDFM Former Royal Irish Regiment base, Magherafelt — —

Road Schemes

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the major road schemes likely to commence construction in Northern Ireland within the next 12 months;

John Spellar: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. Gregory Campbell, dated 2 February 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question asking for a list of the major road schemes likely to commence construction in Northern Ireland within the next 12 months (211518). I have been asked to reply as the issue raised falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Rods Service.
	I can advise you that the major road schemes likely to commence construction in the next 12 months are as follows:
	A1 Newry to Dundalk Link Road—the Northern Ireland section of this scheme will upgrade 4.3km of route to high standard dual carriageway and include one grade separated junction at an estimated cost of £33 million.
	The first package of the Roads Service Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) programme is expected to be awarded in 2005 and it is possible that construction of the following two capital elements of the package may start construction in the next 12 months:
	the provision of on-slips to the M2 motorway at Antrim Hospital at an estimated cost of £2 million; and
	improvements to the M1/Westlink, costing an estimated £75 million, which will include the widening of 2.8km of the M1 motorway to 3 lanes in each direction (Stockman's Lane to Broadway), the widening of 1.6km of the Westlink dual carriageway to 3 lanes in each direction (Broadway to Divis Street) and the provision of 2 grade separated junctions (underpasses) at Broadway and Grosvenor Road.
	However, the timing of the construction of these schemes will not be confirmed until later in the negotiations for the award of this DBFO package.
	Of course, the commencement of these schemes on the Eastern Sea Board Corridor should be viewed in the context of recently constructed and ongoing schemes throughout Northern Ireland, as well as those schemes planned to start in 2006–07.
	For example, schemes recently constructed that serve the North West include the Strabane Bypass Stage II and Limavady Bypass both opened to traffic in September 2003, and the Toome Bypass that was opened to traffic in March 2004. Several carriageway-widening schemes have also been completed on the key corridors serving the north-west within the past year, including A37 Springwell Climbing Lane (Coleraine to Limavady) and A6 schemes at Munreery (Derry to Dungiven), Curran (Maghera to Castledawson) and Castledawson (roundabout towards Maghera under construction). It is also hoped to commence further widening schemes at A37 Gortcorbies (Limavady to Coleraine) and A6 Kilcattan (extension of Burntollet West—towards Belfast) and Mulderg (to balance Munreery) over the next couple of years.
	In addition the planning and preparation of the A6 dualling scheme from Randalstown to Castledawson and the dualling of the A2 at Broadbridge (Eglinton to Campsie), is progressing well with construction expected to start in 2006–07 (subject to satisfactory economic analysis, availability of finance and the completion of the statutory procedures).
	You will also be aware that the schemes to provide the Skeoge Link and upgrade the A2 Buncrana road are being taken forward in consultation with the developers of the proposed extensive development in the area. While the timing of these improvements will be dependent on agreement with the developers, the first element of these improvements is expected in 2005–06.
	I hope this information is helpful.

School Performance Tables

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will re-introduce school performance tables in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: I have no plans to re-introduce school performance tables in Northern Ireland. The information which the tables contained has for some time been available in respect of each school in its prospectus. With the Freedom of Information Act now in force, the information in respect of all schools will be released by the Department of Education in response to specific requests.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost;
	(2)  when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Chichester on 1 December 2004, ref 202253.

Paul Murphy: During the period 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2004 Northern Ireland Office special advisors travelled domestically on 35 occasions. It is not possible because of the nature of the travel to form this information into return journeys. The details of each journey and associated costs are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 From To Cost (£) 
		
		
			 Belfast Cardiff 57.00 
			 Bristol Belfast 61.50 
			 Cardiff Belfast 56.50 
			 Belfast Cardiff 72.36 
			 Liverpool Belfast 71.50 
			 Cardiff Belfast 48.00 
			 Belfast London 135.20 
			 Cardiff Belfast 48.00 
			 Belfast Cardiff 135.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 72.31 
			 Cardiff Belfast 72.31 
			 Belfast Cardiff 82.86 
			 Belfast Cardiff 47.50 
			 Cardiff Belfast 71.61 
			 Belfast London 134.90 
			 Cardiff Belfast 168.50 
			 Cardiff Belfast 53.50 
			 Belfast Cardiff 323.00 
			 Belfast Cardiff 57.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 128.10 
			 London Belfast 128.10 
			 Cardiff Belfast 109.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 35.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 170.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 47.50 
			 Belfast Cardiff 42.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 57.00 
			 Cardiff Belfast 39.00 
			 Belfast Cardiff 135.20 
			 Belfast London 135.20 
			 Belfast London 278.30 
			 London Belfast 46.94 
			 Bristol Belfast 278.30 
			 Belfast London 150.20 
			 Cardiff Belfast 249.10 
			 Londonderry London 77.96 
		
	
	During the same period special advisors made eight trips abroad. The details of the destinations and travel costs for these trips are set out in the following table. In all instances except the trips to Washington and New York/Washington/LA/San Francisco the expenditure does not include the cost of hotel accommodation and other associated expenses as it is not possible to isolate those figures which relate solely to special advisors from other costs.
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
		
		
			 Washington 4,981.00 
			 Paris 500.00 
			 Boston 5,102.65 
			 Dublin 378.00 
			 Rome 917.60 
			 Ottawa/New York/Washington 7,166.79 
			 Dublin 287.00 
			 New York/Washington/LA/San Francisco 10,951.29

Ulster Scots Agency

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the name of the new Chairman of the Ulster Scots Agency.

Paul Murphy: The Government are actively seeking to appoint a new chairman of the Ulster Scots Agency. To this end, discussions with the parties remain on-going and an appointment will be made as quickly as possible.